ARK Moth Nights – free events at Wild River Reserve

Action for the River Kennet (ARK) will be running their popular moth nights again this year at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, Marlborough. The charity run three moth traps with powerful bulbs to attract these important pollinators so that they can be identified, recorded and released. These evenings give the public an unusual opportunity to get up close to these mostly nocturnal insects and see the amazing diversity and often intricate beauty that is so often overlooked. So far about 300 species of moth have been identified at the reserve, showing how important wild spaces are for wildlife, such as moths to complete their life cycle. Plenty of moths means plenty of food for bats, ARK often bring a bat detector to moth nights to pick up the echolocation of bats hunting in the water meadow and above the River Kennet.

Moth nights are free (donations are always welcome), warm clothing, wellies and a torch are recommended. We meet by the Scrub Habitat Area, close to the Stonebridge notice board in the meadow. The reserve is accessed from Stonebridge Lane, a public footpath next to TH White Country Store on London Road.

Please check our website or Facebook page for times/updates closer to the dates, nights are cancelled if there is a poor weather forecast. Families are welcome. We are joined by the County Moth Recorder, who has over 50 years of mothing knowledge! It is best to arrive as it is about to get dark, the moths won’t be around until it is dark. Summer Moth Nights are usually the most productive both with species and volumes. All records are shared with the Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre.

Stonebridge Meadow, part of Stonebridge Wild River Reserve is jointly owned between ARK and Marlborough Town Council. It is managed for wildlife and for people. For more information about the reserve

http://www.riverkennet.org/about-the-river/stonebridge-wild-river-reserve