The synchronous fireflies of the Smokies are a particularly romantic species. Their light gets inside you, shifts things around, softens places that have grown hard or cold or indifferent or powerless. I had seen them at Elkmont many times before the lottery system and felt wistful about those experiences the way I might feel about a chapter of my life now closed.
The synchronous are faring well here, but fireflies of other species outside protected areas are threatened by overdevelopment, light pollution, and pesticide use. Fireflies might be vulnerable, but that doesn’t mean they are weak. I think they are some of the heaviest lifters in the natural world, capable of softening the heart and rekindling joy in connection to our earthly home. They can give us busy humans needed pause, stir up delightful memories, lighten our spirits, help us move through grief, and inspire possibilities for protecting people and planet.
Getting to see them again at a fundraiser for Discover Life in America while on assignment for Hellbender Press was a delight I will not soon forget. My friend Jaimie Matzko is their Biodiversity Specialist who helped guide the experience, and the warmth from the staff made the event extra special. Take a gander if you want to check out other locations than Elkmont to view this incredible species during their mating season. These little “bugs” will light a spark in you that can carry you far.
Élan Young 