Firefly Talk & High Tide Potluck
Thanks to Don for his hugely successful talk on fireflies! Over 50 people came to the potluck to check out Don's talk about these curious, fascinating, and beautiful little creatures. Don't forget to sign up for (and keep up on) the Museum of Science firefly study!
July 2008
Where have all the fireflies gone? Join us during our July 11 high tide potluck for a talk by Don Salvatore of the Museum of Science and a firefly-hunting walk at nearby Bay Farm.
The grill for the potluck is hot by 6:00 pm. Bring something to grill for yourself, and maybe a side dish to share. The talk will begin around 8:00 and we will head to Bay Farm for a firefly hunt afterwards. Join the Museum of Science Firefly Study--The Museum of Science Firefly Study website is now up and running! They need data from your backyard to put together this comprehensive study.
Many people have wonderful childhood memories of warm summer nights in meadows alive with the flashing of fireflies. But as adults, we rarely see them. Are fireflies disappearing from our landscape? If so, why, and what can we do about it? Help researchers determine why fireflies seem to be declining in Massachusetts by joining the Museum of Science and researchers from Tufts University and Fitchburg State College in a Citizen Science Project designed to track the fate of these amazing insects. The Citizen Science Firefly Project will show you how to collect scientific data in a manner both useful to firefly researchers and fun for the whole family. Using your own backyard as a data collection site, chart the occurrence of fireflies throughout the season (May through August) and add this data to that of hundreds of other Citizen Scientists to create a picture of the status of fireflies in the state. Collecting large amounts of data is the only way scientists can learn why fireflies are declining in numbers and what can be done to reverse this trend. Using Citizen Scientists is the only way scientists can collect large amounts of data. Becoming a Citizen Scientist is easy and fun. Whether you participate as an individual or family, it is a great way to foster a lifelong interest in science and a greater understanding of natural history.
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