Firefly Release in Sara Roosevelt Park
Inside the M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden!
Read Below for more details about Fireflies – and what we can do to protect them – Erika Suban MKG Co-Chair.
Just off of Rivington transverse between Chrystie/Forsyth in Sara Roosevelt Park.
July 9th
8 PM – 9 PM (evening!)
with thanks to:
Erika – more information about fireflies:
THURSDAY JULY 9TH until 9PM.
The garden will open in the afternoon and it will stay open until 9pm, so we can hopefully spot some fireflies light up and surprise us.
Fireflies once shared earth with dinosaurs, but now their numbers are declining.
Butterflies, bees, and now fireflies, are all struggling to find places to live and reproduce.
We are so lucky to still see them and we should celebrate them!
DID YOU KNOW that fireflies live for about 1 to 2 years in total, but they spend up to 95% of their lives underground as larvae? Once they reach adulthood, they only live for 2 weeks to 2 months—just long enough to mate and lay eggs.
Habitat loss, mainly of leaf litter and tall grasses, reduces the food and space available – halting and reversing population growth
Pesticide exposure can disrupt their metabolism and development while in egg and larval life stages
Climate change adds stress by exacerbating all of these threats, particularly through drought and sea level rise
HOW CAN WE HELP?
- Turn off outdoor lights in the evening or close the blinds
- Plant native plants
- Mow grass less frequently and raise the length to 4 inches
- In the fall rake the leaves if you want, but keep them in your yard
- Use non-pesticide solutions for insect control
- Find alternatives to salt usage for snow
- Enjoy their presence
- Show others how insects are interesting not intimidating
See you on Thursday!