We predict it will be mothier than ever.
Moth Ball is a beautiful summer night under the stars at Fresh Pond’s Kingsley Park. It’s a celebration of night, community, biodiversity, discovery, and, most of all, moths.
It’s also a participatory science event where we collect, record, photograph, and identify moths while learning more about their extraordinary lives. Explore the many hands-on activities offered by our partner organizations and get to know moths up close as we share the data and photos we collect with researchers.
It’s also part of National Moth Week. This year, we also celebrate the power of moths to inspire the creative imagination of artists.
If you’re interested in nature, insects, butterflies, moths, native plants, pollinators, or the amazing wildlife of Cambridge—or if you simply enjoy nighttime, nerding out, and learning something new—this event is for you.
No previous moth experience is required. This is a chance to learn, explore, and enjoy. Bring a picnic, and please carry out and recycle your trash. The moths will thank you.
Learn more about National Moth Week and discover how to become a community scientist.
Learn more about National Moth Week and become a community scientist.
Free! (But please register below. Everybody welcome. Children with an Adult +1 or more are very welcome. The park is ADA accessible, and designated parking spots are available. No loud music. Spread-out area.
Please note: this event is in the dark. A signed waiver is required at registration.
WHEN Wednesday, July 22
TIME Art starts at 7:30 PM. Moths begin at 8:30 pm. Moth Ball ends at 10:30 PM
Families with children can come as early as 6:30 pm to work on creative projects.
WHERE Kingsley Park at Fresh Pond Reservation, Cambridge
RAIN DATE July 23. Follow @bostonbirdfest on Instagram for updates.
Mothical or Mystical.
Now in its third year, Moth Ball guests always delight with their beautiful and creative attire! Will there be a red carpet? We’re not telling. … Closed-toe shoes are strongly recommended.
Download the free iNaturalist app and be sure to share your moth photos. People from around the world help identify moths, and having multiple photos of the same individual from different angles can be helpful in making an ID. You’ll also be contributing to the annual Cambridge moth survey project.
And don’t stop at Moth Ball—share photos of moths in your neighborhood, too!
iNaturalist is a lot of fun. We especially encourage you to photograph the things people don’t always think are cute or charismatic, such as slime molds, weeds, and wildlife in less “Instagram-worthy” places.
PLEASE BE AWARE: Fresh Pond is often a high-traffic area, and driving can be a bear!
PARKING Limited parking onsite.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Alewife Station is the closest T stop. Walk south to the pond and then south along the pond.
Bus Routes 74 & 78 travel from Harvard Station down Concord Avenue, stopping directly next to the Fresh Pond Mall. This is the most convenient option.
Route 72: Runs from Harvard Station down Huron Avenue, dropping riders off near the southern side of the reservation at Fresh Pond Parkway. Walk north along the pond.
Route 75: Connects Harvard Station to Belmont Center, stopping directly at the Fresh Pond Golf Course stop. Walk north along the pond.
PLEASE register your group in advance so we can ensure everything runs smoothly. Registration is FREE. A few days before the event, you’ll receive an email from The Boston Birding Festival with additional details. You can also follow @Bostonbirdfest on Instagram or Facebook for the latest updates.
When you register, you’ll have the opportunity to support Moth Ball and help us cover event expenses. Anyone who contributes $50 or more will receive a 2026 Moth Ball poster.
Posters must be picked up at the Moth Ball check-in booth. They cannot be mailed and are not for sale. This is a limited-edition run. The deadline to register and reserve a poster is July 18. Learn more when you register.
Additional guests and presenters coming soon…
ARTISTS
Kona Morris, Storyteller, writer, comedian, and educator
Judith Robichaud, Painter and Birder
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Billy Hickey, Nature photographer and storyteller
SCIENTISTS
Dr. Jane Waters, Department of Biology, Providence College
Dr. Avalon Owens, Entomologist, The Rowland Institute, Harvard University
Earthwise Aware
EXTRA SPECIAL GUESTS
Alex & Max Khitrik, “Max’s Museum of Natural Things”
Photographers interested in creative moth images and the power of photography to encourage conservation and habitat restoration are especially encouraged to attend. Beginners welcome, and we’ll even share some cell phone tricks.
If you’re interested in getting involved in planning this year’s community event or if you have ideas you just want to share, please let us know! Thank you.
Email us at hello@bostonbirdingfestival.org or, even better, complete this form.
The Moth Ball team is grateful for the generous support of thise who help make this event happen. Special thanks to AV Presentations, Inc., for their technical expertise and for bringing magic to Moth Ball.
We borrow and repurpose as much as we can, but we do end up with expenses each year—insurance, table and chair rentals, AV, and lights. We welcome small gifts that help us cover some of these necessities.
To chip in, please go to our event registration page and select “Chip In.” Contributions are not required to attend or expected. If you’re feeling flush and want to make a $50 donation (or more), let us thank you with a copy of this year’s limited edition poster (18X24, on quality stock). Pick up your copy at Moth Ball.
Whether you chip in $5 or $50, we very much appreciate your support. Thank you for supporting this home-grown community event, and a special thanks to our wonderful volunteers.
National Moth Week Group on Facebook
Mass Moths
Bug Guide
Mothing in Massachusetts
Tom Murrray’s Moths Page
Insect ID (Massachusetts Moths)
Preserving the miracle of biodiversity takes many hands, many areas of expertise, many different skills and ideas—and many volunteers! You can make a difference! Consider volunteering with these local groups or supporting their work to help protect the world we love.
Click on their logos to learn more.
Moths play a critical role in ecosystems as pollinators, especially at night. In some cases, moths can be even more effective pollinators than bees. Some species are generalists and pollinate many kinds of trees and plants; others pollinate only a single plant species or group of species.
Moths are also among the most important sources of food for birds, bats, and other wildlife. Roughly 90% of bird species feed insects to their young, making healthy insect populations essential for successful breeding.
A world with far fewer moths would be a world with far fewer birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, forests, and wildflowers. The natural systems that store carbon and help regulate the climate could be dangerously weakened without moths.
The more we know about moths, the more we can learn to protect them—and the more we can understand what each of us can do to help.
Moth Ball is not only an educational program—it is also participatory science. The observations, photos, and data we collect are shared with research databases used by scientists around the world.
Together with data collected during Moth Balls and moth surveys in other communities, they help provide a snapshot of moth diversity and abundance.
See you out there!
