Celebrating National Moth Week
with the Montana Moth Project
IN THIS WORKSHOP:
Learn about moth natural history, diversity, and evolutionary adaptations
Why moths are among the most ecologically important insect groups
How to find and identify moths
Attract and observe moths in the field
Contribute to National Moth Week citizen science
How the Montana Moth Project is helping to better understand moth diversity, distribution, and ecology in the state
***Teachers/educators you can earn 2 OPI credits during this workshop***
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Welcome Educator! Follow these steps to earn OPI credits:
1. Register for a workshop that has the OPI logo included or ensure that on the workshop website it says it qualifies for OPI credits.
2. When registering, make sure you check the box that indicates you are “an educator interested in earning OPI credits”.
3. Come to the workshop and enjoy learning! Be thinking about how the content could be modified for your classroom.
4. Immediately after the workshop meet with JCPF staff for additional educational materials, ask questions about teaching this content at grade level, OR connect with other teachers.
5. Receive your certificate and OPI credit paperwork.
6. Take the conservation curriculum back to your classrooms!
DETAILS:
Date: July 19, 2025, 6:00PM to 10AM July 20th.
Dinner and breakfast will be provided.
$80/person
Meet at Jack Creek Preserve’s Outdoor Education Center. Sleeping accommodations include bunkrooms, or you are welcome to bring your own camping gear.
There will be an indoor presentation followed by observing moths at a “light sheet”. Rough schedule:
6:15 PM Welcome, introduction, housekeeping
6:30 PM Dinner and get settled in
8:00-9:00 PM Classroom discussion
9:00 PM - 1:00 AM (or as late as you want) Outside: View moths on different light sheets, use resources to identify moths, take photos, ask questions
Sunrise: (optional) Join Mat to collect moth traps and process specimens for collection
8:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Pollinators with the Madison Conservation District
10:00 AM Wrap Up
10:00-11:00 Educators only debrief
Headlamps and appropriate outdoor clothing will be needed. Temperatures may get chilly after sunset, so sweatshirts/jackets are encouraged.
Bring your close-focusing cameras to capture “macro” shots of the moths you see!
About the instructor, Mat Seidensticker: Mat developed broad interests in wildlife research and natural history while earning Wildlife Biology (B.Sc., 2000) and Environmental Studies (M.Sc., 2011) degrees from the University of Montana. After his undergraduate studies, he worked with the Owl Research Institute for over a decade, conducting field studies on Snowy, Long-eared, Saw-whet, Flammulated, Pygmy, and Northern Hawk Owls in Alaska and Montana. His graduate research on Flammulated Owls and subsequent work with the avian science team at MPG Ranch ignited a passion for moths and insects, leading him to establish the non-profit organization Northern Rockies Research & Educational Services in 2019 to advance scientific research, monitoring, and conservation of moths and other insects in Montana, and beyond.
