Backyard Ecology™7 Aug 2025

Gardening for Moths: Why It's Important for Backyard Conservation

Summary

In this episode, we focus on the fascinating world of moths and why gardening for moths is so im-portant for any backyard ecologist. We also talk about specific native plants grow to attract moths, simple ways to observe moths, practical tips for photographing moths at night, and much more. From pollination by fuzzy moth eyeballs to carnivorous moth caterpillars, this episode is full of sto-ries and information you won't want to miss.

Today's guest

Jim McCormac is an author, photographer, and conservationist. He worked for the Ohio Depart-ment of Natural Resources for 31 years as a botanist, and later specializing in wildlife diversity pro-jects for the Division of Wildlife. Jim has authored or co-authored several books including Garden-ing for Moths: A Regional Guide.

3 things you'll learn from this episode

Why moths are so important to the ecosystem.
Actionable tips on how to garden for moths.
Simple ways to easily attract and photograph moths at night.

Bonus content

Jim's Tips for Observing and Photographing Moths

Resources Jim mentioned

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Thank you

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