Candace Fallon, Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist It’s a couple hours before sunset, and I’m zigzagging back and forth across a wide sandy trail behind my friend Becca, scanning the rocks and plants on either side for insects. Tiny checkerspot butterflies flit by. Common side-blotched lizards scamper across boulders, blue scales glinting in the light. …
Candace Fallon, Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist The Golden State: land of sunshine, milk and honey, and… fireflies? Yes! But probably not the kind you’re picturing. When most people think of fireflies, they imagine warm summer nights filled with blinking lights. While that’s true in many parts of the country, including several western states like …
Richard Joyce, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist By the Numbers This year, Firefly Atlas participants submitted data from 857 surveys and incidental observations. There were 304 full surveys, which included both species-specific surveys targeting 32 different species and open-ended surveys, where surveyors simply went out to see what types of fireflies they could find. In total, …
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 …
Firefly researchers (professionals and community scientists alike) often find themselves on a steep learning curve when gathering data on firefly species, especially when they are using methods that don’t involve collecting specimens. This post breaks down some of the ways to ensure that the data you are collecting is as useful as possible for species, …
Candace Fallon, Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist If you submit data to the Firefly Atlas, you might be wondering what becomes of that information. You likely know that we are crowdsourcing data to better understand firefly distributions, seasonality, habitat associations, and more. But what does that mean in practice? And who has access to this …
By Candace Fallon, Senior Endangered Species Conservation Biologist I’ll cut straight to the chase: reality. Fireflies in the Pacific Northwest are very real, although they may not quite match up to the image you have in your mind. Nineteen species of fireflies have been reported from the Pacific Northwest, which we are defining here to …
By Richard Joyce, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist You’ve created a Firefly Atlas account, looked over the participant handbook, and watched the training video. You’ve read the Community Science Code of Conduct, gathered the equipment you’ll need, and printed out survey data-sheets. There’s just one issue: you don’t live in any of the focal regions highlighted …
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