Scott Loarie

I want to share what's possible when we notice nature.

Let's start with this New Zealand moth from about a century ago.

It's got this fantastic name.

It's called the frosted phoenix.

It's also been called the holy grail of New Zealand moths, and it's been missing for about a century.

The scientists thought that it was extinct.

And then about a year ago, the frosted phoenix rose again.

This picture was noticed by scientists on a citizen science project that I helped lead.

But the photographer wasn't a scientist.

He was a Swedish birdwatcher.

He's a schoolteacher, he likes birds, and he was down in New Zealand to look for kiwi birds.

So kiwi are these amazing little nocturnal birds that walk around on beaches.

You have to go out at night to see them.

So he goes out at night to see kiwi birds.

He's actually walking back to his hotel.

So he's walking up the stairs, and he notices this moth on his hotel balcony.

So he takes a photo of it, he posts it and goes to bed, not realizing that he just helped solve a century-old science mystery.

So this is why this is important.

I mean, the frosted phoenix isn't alone.

It's one of over two million species like these that we share the planet with.