Meetings with Moths: Discovering their Mystery and Extraordinary Lives

Description

Why do butterflies bask in the limelight as mood-lifting colourful insects associated with bright flowers and sunny days, when the near-identical moths are relegated to be cast as their drab and dowdy, at best ignored, cousins? 'Moths are some of the most stunning and diverse insects on our planet. They come in a glorious array of colours, shapes and designs, enough to be admired for their looks and lifestyles alone.' The ecologist Katty Baird roams East Lothian, Scotland, trapping, documenting and observing moths. Burnet Moths, Kentish Glories, Death's Head Hawk-Moths are just some of the moths that catch her attention as she climbs into holes, ventures behind waterfalls and wanders forests. Meetings with Moths is a story about green health and the power of a passion to sustain us.

Following a Zoology degree and PhD, Katty Baird continued in academia as a postdoctoral research fellow, studying insect-plant interactions. She now works as an ecologist, recording and monitoring invertebrates throughout Scotland. She is shortlisted for NBN wildlife recording award 2020. In 2019/20 she wrote a popular blog, recording moths on the Whittingehame Estate in East Lothian.