MAKANDA, Ill. − From colorful wings to late-night fluttering, moths took center stage during the recent Magnificent Moths event held at Giant City State Park. This year’s Magnificent Moths event offered families a unique opportunity to discover the hidden beauty and ecological importance of moths. Hosted by the University of Illinois Extension, along with dedicated Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists, the event celebrated National Moth Week through hands-on education, creativity, and outdoor exploration.
Designed for youth ages 5 to 13 but open to all, Magnificent Moths featured a variety of drop-in learning stations and engaging activities. Some stations included a make-and-take moth craft, nature games, native seed giveaways and moth ID tips. The event invited guests to connect with the natural world in fun and meaningful ways.
Each attendee was able to take part in a celebration that highlights moths as nighttime pollinators, biodiversity indicators, and essential members of healthy ecosystems. Events like this play an important role in sparking environmental curiosity while promoting sustainable gardening and pollinator support at home.
Magnificent Moths is made possible thanks to the incredible efforts of local Master Gardener and Master Naturalist volunteers who bring the event to life by dressing up as larger than life moths and sharing their passion for native species and conservation through interactive stations.
“We created this annual event four years ago to celebrate moths, which are often overlooked compared to butterflies. But with so many moths calling Illinois home, we wanted to encourage everyone to learn a little more about them and to try to support them in their own backyards,” says Erin Garrett, Natural Resources educator with Illinois Extension.
The University of Illinois Extension extends a sincere thank you to the Giant City State Park Visitor Center for graciously hosting the event and providing a perfect setting for nature-based learning. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Master Naturalist and Master Gardener volunteers whose time, energy, and enthusiasm helped make the event such a success.
To learn more about pollinators, conservation programs, or upcoming events like Magnificent Moths, contact your local Extension office or visit https://extension.illinois.edu/ajmpu
WRITER: Jordi Oliver, summer intern serving Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski and Union counties, jordio@illinois.edu. 618-833-6363
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.