Citizen science

Anthea Lacchia

4am. Christmas morning.
I pull the covers over me,
cocooned in dreams of fluttering,
trembling,
wonder.

Sparkling, speckled,
unassuming, 
joy,
of the kind only the moth trap can provide.

5am. First light expanding
through dark curtains. 
The night is cloudy, 
moonless,
as required.

Cloaked in sleep and trepidation,
slippers tip toe on cool, damp earth.
Careful footsteps
avoid ground resting moths!

Hazy UV light illuminates the silence of the garden,
and I hope
for unknown, winged treasures,
snoozing in empty egg cartons.

Then, 
as always,
anticipation mixes with unease, 
as I peer inside.

I hope they are ok,
despite the disturbance
imposed by a feedless night.
A disruption to their short lives,
an interlude imposed,
for the sake of science,
I tell myself,
for the sake of science.

Gingerly
lifting the lid,
I see,
sequined coats and fluffy faces. 
Peering up at me,
dazzling rainbow of delight.

Scorched Wing’s alien pattern.
Drinker’s furry kitten cloak.
Will you stay a while?
Lunar Thorn, a leafy harlequin.
Brimstone, lemon balm for the soul.
Please, stay a little longer.

The Ermine moth 
with its regal coat
stays put all day,
outside the home office,
disappearing at dusk, 
as mysteriously as it first arrived. 

Now I'll let them be for a week.
At least a week, I say,
knowing all too well,
that what drives me to the moth trap,
extends far beyond the pursuit 
of citizen science. 

The Science

Moth numbers are declining, much like those of butterflies and other insects. This is due to a mix of habitat loss, pesticide and herbicide use, light pollution and other causes. Through this poem, I was interested in exploring the sense of unease that comes with getting close to wild animals such as moths to study them. Scientific pursuit is often tinged with ethical dilemmas.

The Poet

Anthea Lacchia (she/her) is a writer and journalist based in Ireland. With a background in palaeontology - a PhD on Ireland’s fossils - and academia, she mainly writes about science and nature. While also working as a science communicator and hiking guide, she is always looking for creative means of connecting people to nature. Follow her writing on www.naturetalesandtrails.ie

Next poem: Endosymbiont by Gabrielle Jawer