Pilot Mountain NABA Count
2022-08-23 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Pilot Mountain State Park, 1792 Pilot Knob Park Rd, Pinnacle, North Carolina, 27043
Left to Right: Common Sootywing, Peck’s Skipper, White M Hairstreak, Eufala Skipper, Common Buckeye Caterpillar
This count has sighted some butterflies that are uncommon to rare, as well as some that are not seen in the Durham and Orange County area.
Meet up is in the parking lot near the restrooms.
This count will take place in areas off of trails through tall grasses. We recommend wearing hiking shoes or boots as we will being walking through areas without trails. Long pants are recommended as well as 40+% DEET bug repellent. Sunscreen and hats are also advised.
Please prepare for heat indexes of over 100°F on this walk by bringing water or electrolyte containing beverages. A packed lunch is also recommended. Access to flush toilets will be limited. There are public restrooms in the park and there is a public water fountain.

Hanging Rock NABA Count
2022-08-24 09:00 - 15:00 | Hanging Rock, 1160 Camp Sertoma Dr, Danbury, NC, 27016
Top: Hickory Horned Devil caterpillar
Left to Right: Eastern Comma, Catalpa moth caterpillar, Question Mark, Northern Pearly Eye
Meet up for this count is at Vade Mecum located outside of the main park area.
This count will take place in areas off of trails through tall grasses, over river rocks, and on some blazed trails.
We recommend wearing hiking shoes or boots as we will being walking through areas without trails. Long pants are recommended as well as 40+% DEET bug repellent. Sunscreen and hats are also advised.
Please prepare for heat indexes of over 100°F on this walk by bringing water or electrolyte containing beverages. A packed lunch is also recommended. Access to flush toilets will be limited. There are public restrooms at the Visitor’s Center in the main park.

7th Annual Open House & Plant Swap
2023-06-17 08:00 - 13:00 | Backyard Butterflies, 1507 US HWY 70A East, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us for our 7th Annual Open House & Plant Swap. Please visit the event webpage for more information.

Hillsborough Moth Crawl
2023-06-24 08:30 - 23:30 | Backyard Butterflies, 1507 US HWY 70A East, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us for our first-ever Moth Crawl! More information on the event webpage.

5th Annual Moth Night
2023-07-22 20:30 - 23:30 | Backyard Butterflies, 1507 US HWY 70A East, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us for our 5th Annual Moth Night during National Moth Week. Please visit the event webpage for more information.

Orange County NABA Butterfly Count
2023-08-06 09:00 - 15:00 | Backyard Butterflies, 1507 US HWY 70A East, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us for the 7th conduction of the Orange County NABA Butterfly Count. Please register to participate on the event webpage.

Guildford & Rockingham Counties NABA Butterfly Count
2023-08-08 09:00 - 15:00 | Iron Ore Belt Access, 6068 N Church St, Greensboro, NC, 27455, United States
Join us for the 3rd conduction of the Guilford & Rockingham NABA Butterfly Count. Please register to participate on the event webpage.

Dismal Swamp SP Naba Count
2024-04-08 09:00 - 15:00 | Dismal Swamp State Park, 2294 US 17 North, South Mills, North Carolina, 27976
Join us at Dismal Swamp State Park for a family-friendly NABA butterfly count. Contact Brian Bockhahn to register to participate.

Hillsborough Moth Crawl 2024
2024-06-01 20:30 - 23:30 | Backyard Butterflies, 1507 US HWY 70A East, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States

Weymouth Woods SP NABA Count
2024-06-11 09:00 - 15:00 | Weymouth Woods Sandhills NP, 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines, North Carolina, 28387
This is an estimated date of the count. Actual date of the count is subject to change.
Join us at Weymouth Woods State Park for the annual NABA butterfly count. No previous experience required. Contact Brian Bockhahn to register to participate.

6th Annual Moth Night
2024-07-20 20:30 - 23:30 | Backyard Butterflies, 1507 US HWY 70A East, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States

Orange County NABA Butterfly County
2024-08-04 09:00 - 15:00 | Backyard Butterflies, 1507 US HWY 70A East, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us Sunday morning and/or the afternoon for the 8th annual Orange County NABA butterfly count. No previous experience required as new participants will be partnered with the count leaders. Experienced counters may be assigned their own area to cover.
Please submit this registration form to participate.

Orange County NABA Count

First Name
*

Last Name
*

Email
*

Phone/Text

Have you ever participated in a NABA count before?

Yes

No

Which NABA butterfly count(s) have you participated in?

Orange County

Durham County

Guildford & Rockingham Counties

Weymouth Woods SP

Hanging Rock SP

Mayo River SP

Pilot Mountain SP

Dismal Swamp SP

Pettigrew SP

Which areas in Orange County are you familiar with?

Ayr Mount

Brumley NP north section

Brumley NP south section

Gold Park/River Walk

Johnston Mill

NCBG

Occoneechee Mtn

OtherOther

How do you rate your butterfly identification abilities?

I'm a beginner. I recognize Monarchs and Tiger Swallowtails.

I'm intermediate. I know all of the Swallowtails and the common Brushfoots.

I'm experienced, but have trouble with grass skippers and duskywings.

I'm an expert. Duskywings and grass skippers tremble in my presence!

OtherOther

Your Message or Comments

Submit

If you are human, leave this field blank.

Guilford & Rockingham Counties NABA County
2024-08-06 09:00 - 15:00 | Iron Ore Belt Access, 6068 N Church St, Greensboro, NC, 27455, United States
Join us Tuesday morning and afternoon for the 4th annual Guilford & Rockingham Counties NABA butterfly count! No previous experience required as new participants will be partnered with the count leaders. Experienced counters may be assigned their own area to cover.
Please submit this registration form to participate.

Guilford & Rockingham Counties NABA Count

First Name
*

Last Name
*

Email
*

Have you ever participated in a NABA count before?

Yes

No

Which NABA counts have you participated in?

Orange County

Durham County

Guildford & Rockingham Counties

Weymouth Woods SP

Hanging Rock SP

Mayo River SP

Pilot Mountain SP

Dismal Swamp SP

Pettigrew SP

How do you rate your butterfly identification abilities?

I'm a beginner. I recognize Monarchs and Tiger Swallowtails.

I'm intermediate. I know all of the Swallowtails and the common Brushfoots.

I'm experienced, but have trouble with grass skippers and duskywings.

I'm an expert. Duskywings and grass skippers tremble in my presence!

OtherOther

Your Message or Comments

If you are human, leave this field blank.

Submit

Durham County NABA Count
2024-08-11 09:00 - 15:00 | NC
Local butterfly expert Jeff Pippen has been conducting the Durham County NABA butterfly count since 1999. He welcomes new participants to the count. Experienced counters will be assigned their own location to survey. Visit Jeff’s website for more info.

Hanging Rock SP NABA Butterfly Count
2024-08-19 09:00 - 15:00, 2025-08-18 09:00 - 15:00 | Hanging Rock, 1160 Camp Sertoma Dr, Danbury, NC, 27016
Join us at Hanging Rock State Park for the annual NABA butterfly count. No previous experience required. Contact Brian Bockhahn to register to participate.

Mayo River SP NABA Count
2024-08-20 09:00 - 15:00 | Mayo River State Park, 500 Old Mayo Park Road, Mayodan, North Carolina, 27027
This is an estimated date of the count. Actual date of the count is subject to change.
Join us at Mayo River State Park for the annual NABA butterfly count. No previous experience required. Contact Brian Bockhahn to register to participate.

Pilot Mountain SP NABA Count
2024-08-26 09:00 - 15:00 | Pilot Mountain State Park, 1792 Pilot Knob Park Rd, Pinnacle, North Carolina, 27043
Join us at Pilot Mountain State Park for the annual NABA butterfly count. No previous experience required. Contact Brian Bockhahn to register to participate.

Weymouth Woods SP NABA Count
2025-06-10 09:00 - 15:00 | Weymouth Woods Sandhills NP, 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines, North Carolina, 28387
Join us at Weymouth Woods State Park for the annual NABA butterfly count. No previous experience required. Contact Brian Bockhahn to register to participate.

Orange County NABA Butterfly County
2025-08-03 09:00 - 15:00 | Backyard Butterflies, 1507 US HWY 70A East, Hillsborough, NC, 27278, United States
Join us Sunday morning and/or the afternoon for the 9th annual Orange County NABA butterfly count. No previous experience required as new participants will be partnered with the count leaders. Experienced counters may be assigned their own area to cover.
Please submit this registration form to participate.

Orange County NABA Count

First Name
*

Last Name
*

Email
*

Phone/Text

Have you ever participated in a NABA count before?

Yes

No

Which NABA butterfly count(s) have you participated in?

Orange County

Durham County

Guildford & Rockingham Counties

Weymouth Woods SP

Hanging Rock SP

Mayo River SP

Pilot Mountain SP

Dismal Swamp SP

Pettigrew SP

Which areas in Orange County are you familiar with?

Ayr Mount

Brumley NP north section

Brumley NP south section

Gold Park/River Walk

Johnston Mill

NCBG

Occoneechee Mtn

OtherOther

How do you rate your butterfly identification abilities?

I'm a beginner. I recognize Monarchs and Tiger Swallowtails.

I'm intermediate. I know all of the Swallowtails and the common Brushfoots.

I'm experienced, but have trouble with grass skippers and duskywings.

I'm an expert. Duskywings and grass skippers tremble in my presence!

OtherOther

Your Message or Comments

Submit

If you are human, leave this field blank.

Guilford & Rockingham Counties NABA Count
2025-08-05 09:00 - 15:00 | Iron Ore Belt Access, 6068 N Church St, Greensboro, NC, 27455, United States
Join us Tuesday morning and afternoon for the 5th annual Guilford & Rockingham Counties NABA butterfly count! No previous experience required as new participants will be partnered with the count leaders. Experienced counters may be assigned their own area to cover.
Please submit this registration form to participate.

Guilford & Rockingham Counties NABA Count

First Name
*

Last Name
*

Email
*

Have you ever participated in a NABA count before?

Yes

No

Which NABA counts have you participated in?

Orange County

Durham County

Guildford & Rockingham Counties

Weymouth Woods SP

Hanging Rock SP

Mayo River SP

Pilot Mountain SP

Dismal Swamp SP

Pettigrew SP

How do you rate your butterfly identification abilities?

I'm a beginner. I recognize Monarchs and Tiger Swallowtails.

I'm intermediate. I know all of the Swallowtails and the common Brushfoots.

I'm experienced, but have trouble with grass skippers and duskywings.

I'm an expert. Duskywings and grass skippers tremble in my presence!

OtherOther

Your Message or Comments

If you are human, leave this field blank.

Submit

Mayo River SP NABA Butterfly Count
2025-08-19 09:00 - 15:00 | Mayo River State Park, 500 Old Mayo Park Road, Mayodan, North Carolina, 27027
Join us at Mayo River State Park for the annual NABA butterfly count. No previous experience required. Contact Brian Bockhahn to register to participate.

Pilot Mountain SP NABA Butterfly Count
2025-08-25 09:00 - 15:00 | Pilot Mountain State Park, 1792 Pilot Knob Park Rd, Pinnacle, North Carolina, 27043

March 28 - Moth Night at Brumley NP
2026-03-28 19:00 - 22:00 | Brumley Forest NP, 3055 New Hope Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514
We’re starting off our expanded series of moth nights in 2026 with an early March date. Attendees are encouraged to visit seasonally to see the “limited time only” moths that have a short flight period during the early spring. These species are seen only this time of year – so don’t miss your chance to meet some new moth friends!
For our moth events we recommend wearing proper outdoor attire like for hiking: long pants, sturdy close-toe shoes, snug fitting shirts. Dress for safety and warmth, not necessarily for comfort.
Bring with you a headlamp or flashlight. Camera is optional, but encouraged to be part of the citizen science!
Registration is required for this event. Click below to register for this event:
Moth Night

April 25 - Moth Night at Brumley NP
2026-04-25 20:00 - 23:00 | Brumley Forest NP, 3055 New Hope Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514

The Hillsborough Moth Crawl
2026-06-06 20:30 - 2026-06-19 23:30 | Blackwood Farm Park, 4215 NC-86, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514
Summon the Light: Reconvene with the Moths
Sometimes officially described as part citizen science, part magic, and all parts pure moth joy, we’re purely delighted to return for another night of mothy mayhem across Hillsborough.
Whether you are a curious newcomer or a seasoned moth’er, young or old, join us for an evening of visiting multiple mothing locations in a single night, resulting in the epic achievement of Mothing Your Way Across Hillsborough!
A year has passed since we last gathered around the collecting sheets.
In that time, something has shifted. It feels a little celestial, like starlight traveling billions and billions of miles, reaching us long after it first began its journey. When we look up, we are seeing the past and the present at once. And in our own way, that’s what this return feels like too. We are back, but not the same. We’ve grown. We’ve changed. We’ve undergone metamorphosis.
We summon the light, and the light summons the moths.
Out of the darkness, they come, drawn from hidden places into illumination, into visibility, into presence. And we come too, drawn by curiosity, wonder, and something harder to name but easy to feel once you’re standing there, watching a Luna Moth flutter at the collecting sheet.
There is something quietly magical about it.
Here in the night, the world softens and expands. The darkness reveals rather than conceals. Another version of reality emerges, one that asks us to slow down, to notice, to be an observer: a citizen scientist. The moths connect us to nature, to each other, and to this fleeting moment of shared attention. Their diversity, endless in form, color, and expression, reflects something back to us, too.
This is a space rooted in inclusion, where everyone is truly welcome. Where moths, and the people who love them, are celebrated!
There is love here. There is presence here.
And for one night, under the glow of gathered light, we get to experience a world that only reveals itself to those willing to step into the dark and see what arrives!
Registration is required. Please visit the event website for more details.

Moth Magic After Dark
2026-08-08 20:00 - 23:00 | Cane Creek Natural Area, 5075 Bass Mountain Road, Snow Camp, NC, 27329
Step into a nighttime world where moths—those fuzzy, fluttery, under-the-radar superheroes—take center stage. Sponsored by Backyard Butterflies, we will light up the night with special glow stations that gently attract these winged wonders, giving you a front-row seat to their secret lives. Watch patterns shimmer, wings sparkle, and tiny antennae twitch as moths glide in like enchanted creatures from a storybook forest.
Learn about their hidden superpowers—pollinating flowers in the dark, feeding nighttime wildlife, and helping scientists understand the health of our ecosystems. Learn how to be a real citizen scientist by submitting your sightings to iNaturalist to help researchers understand the health of our planet.

Note: Registration is required through the Alamance County Parks website.
Backyard Butterflies, a Hillsborough-based nonprofit dedicated to Lepidoptera education and community outreach.
Date: Saturday August 8th (Rain date August 9th)
Time: 8:00pm-11:00pm
Location: Cane Creek Natural Area – Pine Hill Trailhead
5075 Bass Mountain Road
Snow Camp, NC 27329
The evening starts with a 35-minute moth presentation. Then, as the night deepens, we’ll shift into observing these nighttime flyers up close.
Participants should bring a chair, flashlight or headlamp, wear closed-toe shoes and long pants and apply insect repellent. Sunscreen is also recommended, as UV lights will be in use.
Moth Magic is designed to welcome everyone — curious newcomers, seasoned naturalists, families, and children. Costumes are enthusiastically encouraged. Moth wings, antennae, sequins, and full cryptid fantasy are all equally at home alongside hiking boots and headlamps. There is no experience required and no judgment offered — only an open invitation to step into the dark and see what arrives!
