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And a waste-free tip that saves money.
Dear Reader,
In a few weeks, if the skies are dark enough and you’re geographically lucky, you’ll notice fireflies engaging in their bioluminescent courtship ritual. It’s a display so ancient that dinosaurs likely observed it, and it continues to enchant, giving rise to so-called “firefly tourism,” which, in 2018, lured 1.8 million tourists to roughly a dozen countries and contributed $1.451 billion to the global economy.
But we just might be loving lightning bugs to death, according to a story in Wired magazine.
For one thing, many species live at least part of their lives on or beneath the ground, especially in leaf litter, where human feet can compress and degrade soil, harming habitat where the beetles grow and find food. What’s more, lights from phones, cameras, and flashlights can confuse fireflies, interrupting their mating ritual, which is bad because their mating period is short, and they might miss out altogether on making new fireflies. Finally, the bug spray that plenty of tourists rely on to repel other insects can disorient them, again interrupting courtship.
And these concerns aren’t hypothetical. Researchers documented an 80% decline in firefly populations in Amphawa, Thailand, “where male fireflies create dazzling displays in the mangroves along the Mae Klong River,” Wired reports. Tourism’s “excessive boat traffic also eroded the riverbanks, toppling the trees where male fireflies performed and washing away mud along the shoreline, essential habitat for larval fireflies.” Mexico and South Carolina reported similar concerns from an influx of tourists.
But there is good news. Turns out that fireflies aren’t so rare, and new populations are being discovered all the time. This, of course, doesn’t mean that unchecked firefly tourism is okay. And a responsible approach is always wise. After being caught off guard by an unexpected barrage of tourists a few years ago, the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival folks introduced new protocols, including mandatory registration to reduce crowd size, tour guides to present educational programs, and bleachers to keep people’s feet off the ground. They also extended the festival over two nights in June, and are keeping crowding down by spreading out traffic over a longer period. (And they added an immersive overnight experience for a lucky few.)
If you’re a long way from Pennsylvania, consider (responsibly) seeking out fireflies in your own area using the Firefly Atlas. And consider Bluedot contributor and Imagine If … co-host Cleo Carney’s plea to protect our dark skies so we can all enjoy fireflies.
Glowingly,
Dot
Bonus: By wasting less, you’ll save money!
For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.
