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Kaleidoscopic videos of moths and their wing patterns are projected onto solar-powered reflective tents and nearby buildings to attract both moths and curious people. Native plants and other suitable pollinator food sources are presented in self-contained mobile gardens. The accompanying 18-foot solar-powered "ArtLab" acts as the stage for these interactive public engagements, providing hands-on activities and information on a broad range of environmental topics. The Moth Project focuses on ecological literacy and empowers audiences through citizen science and backyard naturalism, which can lead to new conversations and civic action.

We have chosen to focus on moths because of their diversity (approx. 14,500 species found in the United States) and usefulness as pollinators. There is much concern over the dramatic rise in Honey Bee Depopulation Syndrome (HBDS) or Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), in which worker bees from a beehive or honeybee colony abruptly disappear or die. Many do not realize bees' vital role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. According to experts, if bees were to become extinct, humanity would suffer dramatically within four years. Research has led us to nighttime insects or second-shift pollinators for necessary food crop pollination. Moths are also a family of insects that most people know very little about, both visually and environmentally.



 

The Moth Project

The primary objective of The Moth Project is to foster collaborative efforts in addressing current environmental stresses, food shortages, and wasteful practices. This is achieved by connecting ecological issues, biology, and creative operations.

 

Our approach involves creating conceptually rigorous yet poetic projects with the goal to use dialogical art as a positive tool. By transforming passive viewers into empowered participants, The Moth Project enables audiences to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the intersection of art, science, and sustainable practices. In doing so, we strive to invent new ways of bridging the gap between nature and people's everyday lives.

 

Complementary to our initiatives, we provide field guides that promote, preserve, and enhance public awareness and environmental literacy. The Moth Project integrates research, activism, art, and science to tackle potential catastrophic events while offering alternatives to pessimistic predictions. We aim to expand the "knowledge of the moment" by highlighting the connection between the natural world and individual actions. Furthermore, we strive to inspire simple and positive changes that can be implemented to enhance sustainability, intending that these practices continue long after the artists have moved on.

 

Download a PDF about the moth project 

A past Moth Project Field Guide

can be downloaded here:

Bee Vision 10 min video

All rights reserved by Wendy DesChene and  Jeff Schmuki

Metamorphosis 4 min video of the life cycle of the Luna Moth

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