Are you in training to become a Master Naturalist, or looking for a new project to undertake as part of your annual certification requirements? Many Master Naturalist programs require 30-40 hours of volunteer work each year. We might be biased, but we think participating in the Firefly Atlas and related conservation efforts is an excellent way to meet and maintain your certification requirements! Here are just a few ideas for you to consider, with some examples of inspiring Master Naturalists who are already contributing to firefly research, education, and protection. (If this is you, thank you!!)
Conduct Firefly Atlas surveys
We launched the Firefly Atlas in 2022 in response to a pressing need for more information on firefly distributions, phenology, and habitat associations. Because the Atlas covers such a large geographic area (the United States and Canada) and such a wide range of species (177 and counting!), community scientists play a critical role in helping researchers learn more about how best to conserve fireflies. You can contribute to this effort by conducting surveys for specific firefly species or doing site inventories, both of which involve selecting a suitable site, obtaining permission to access it (often after dark), and getting outside over the course of the adult activity period to record and share what you observe. We have in-depth information on how to get involved in our training videos, but here’s a quick run-down of how to get started:
- Discover which species occur near you: Use the Firefly Atlas species checklist to see what species occur in your state, and read more about them to determine if any might live near you, what habitats they use, and what time of year and night they are active.
- Choose a survey site: Select a location with suitable firefly habitat for your species of interest, such as a wetland, field, or riparian woodland. If it’s within one of the Firefly Atlas focal regions, great! But even if it isn’t, the data you collect are still valuable.
- Obtain permission: Ensure you have permission from the land owner or manager to survey the site. Some public sites that are open during the day close at dusk, so be sure to check the visitation hours too.
- Use provided protocols: Review the Firefly Atlas survey protocol and data sheets prior to doing your first survey.
- Find a friend and head out to your site! Be sure to arrive during the daylight so you can scout the area.
- Conduct your survey: Record data on the survey site, weather, habitat, potential firefly threats, and any firefly sightings, including species (if known), time of day, flash pattern, and any other relevant information.
- Focus on flash patterns: Detailed descriptions of flash patterns are valuable for species identification, so pay attention to how the firefly’s light flashes. We have tips for how to do this in our training videos.
- Take photos of individual fireflies whose flash patterns you’ve recorded, and try to include a ruler or grid paper in the shot so we can easily get measurements of the individual.
- Share what you found by reporting your data to the Firefly Atlas—even if you didn’t find anything! Negative data are just as helpful as positive detection points.
Record firefly flash patterns
Researchers with CU Boulder are working to develop a library of recorded flash patterns for US firefly species, with an emphasis on species of conservation concern. Video footage of fireflies taken at a site can then be analyzed for individual flash patterns, matched to the flash pattern library, and ultimately provide researchers with a species ID. This could make firefly monitoring—which has a lot of challenges, including accurate species ID—more accessible and useful in the future. Master Naturalists interested in gathering video footage to record firefly flash patterns over the course of a season may be provided with training protocols, GoPro cameras, memory cards, and tripods to assist with recording flash patterns. You can join this effort by filling out a form here (for recording anywhere in the USA).
Share what you know and help others learn through firefly outreach
As you learn about the fireflies in your area, we encourage you to share that knowledge with others! With a heavy emphasis on education, Master Naturalists are well positioned to educate others about fireflies and their conservation needs. There are several ways you might go about doing this:
- Host firefly walks or viewing events: Organize evening walks or viewing events to educate the public about fireflies and their importance. These can be family-friendly events in partnership with local land managers like county and state parks, botanical gardens or arboretums, or nature preserves. Check out Xerces’ firefly visitor etiquette guides, which you can print for events like this!
- Create educational materials: Develop interpretive materials, such as signs, brochures, or presentations, that are specific to your local area and the fireflies and habitats that can be found there. Consider giving natural history talks about fireflies at your local library or nature center.
- Promote firefly-friendly practices: Encourage your community to create firefly-friendly habitats, reduce light pollution, and avoid pesticide use. Get involved in local Dark Sky chapters (or start your own!) and check out your municipality’s lighting ordinances to see if they align with wildlife- and firefly-friendly lighting practices.
- Write blogs and news articles: If your Master Naturalist group or local chapter has a blog, consider writing a guest post about fireflies and how other members might get involved locally. You could highlight species known in the area and even some potential places to conduct surveys. You could also consider writing op-eds for your local newspaper. Are there steps people can take locally to help fireflies, like turning off unnecessary lights at night or eliminating cosmetic uses of pesticides? If so, write about it! Let folks know what they can do to help.
- Organize firefly blitzes: Host community-based events where people can collaboratively identify and learn about fireflies, or integrate fireflies into an existing bioblitz. You can get some more ideas for how to do this our firefly blitz guide.
Establish a firefly sanctuary
Protecting habitat for fireflies is vitally important, and one way to do so is to establish firefly sanctuaries in areas where fireflies are known to occur. There is a small but growing movement to create firefly sanctuaries across the country. In Arkansas, Master Naturalists recently partnered with the Peel Compton Foundation to set aside an area dedicated to the preservation of fireflies at the Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. In addition to adopting firefly-friendly practices at the sanctuary like eliminating pesticide use and limiting artificial light at night, Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists also lead educational firefly walks during the summer and have been conducting firefly inventories using the Firefly Atlas to determine what species occur at the site. Their efforts have inspired the formation of at least one other firefly sanctuary in the state, potentially with more to come. You can read more about starting a firefly sanctuary here, which includes case studies like Coler Firefly Sanctuary.
There are so many ways Master Naturalists can contribute to firefly research and conservation, and hopefully this list has spurred a few ideas! And if you’re not a Master Naturalist, don’t let that deter you—these actions are available to all.
