Gardening for Moths: Why It's Important for Backyard Conservation
From Backyard Ecology™ by Shannon Trimboli
August 7, 2025 · 1h 12m · Episode 107
About this episode
This episode explores the importance of gardening for moths and provides tips for attracting and observing them.
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 Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide* Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History * A…
People in this episode
Host: Shannon Trimboli
Guest: Jim McCormac
Topics covered
- moths
- gardening
- backyard conservation
- native plants
- photographing moths
- ecosystem importance
Keywords
- moths
- gardening for moths
- native plants
- photographing moths
- backyard ecology
- ecosystem
- conservation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Books & works: Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide, Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A Guide to Identification and Natural History, A Naturalist's Guide to the Odonata of Ohio
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