Past projects funded by the Diarsia Awards

2023

Mimicking wild mega-herbivore behaviour: is mob-grazing beneficial for moths?

In 2023 I carried out research into how a regenerative grazing practice, known as ‘mob-grazing’, impacts on caterpillars and adult moths. Mob-grazing is thought to mimic how wild mega-herbivores graze in the wild by increasing pasture rest times and by reducing the time that the herd spends in a paddock to one or two days only. As farmers implementing this type of grazing are few and far between, the project involved a significant amount of travel as well as overnight stays which were covered by the award. This allowed me to survey for caterpillars and adult moths in twenty-six pastures across Scotland.

Rochelle Kennedy, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC)