Bring Magic to the Garden with Fireflies

The onset of summer brings on many magical delights. Longer days, delightful nights, gardens and beaches and mountains, and adventure. And bugs. There are some bugs that truly bug us, but there are others that absolutely delight - like fireflies!

Fireflies are amazing little creatures. These beetles are a welcome pleasure since seeing them is a sign that summer is truly upon us. Unfortunately, they are on the decline. Losing these little fairies of the season is not only sad for the child in all of us, but it is sad for the environment as well. There are, however, a number of things you can do to keep the magic glowing in your yard.

1) Turn off the lights. Fireflies signal their mates by flashing their perfect little lights. Ambient light from houses, streetlights, garden lights, etc., make it hard for the guys and gals to see each other. From twilight to just after dark, resist the urge to pop on the lights and you might just have a chance to see the light show of love.

2) Don't over mow, at least not that low. The firefly enjoys hanging out in the grass during the day. And eggs and larvae are born and grow in the ground. They prefer longer grass, so resist the urge to keep the lawn trimmed as tight as a crew cut. At the very least allow for some longer grasses to grow in some areas of your lawn to give the lightening bugs somewhere to live.

3) Let the slugs ... be slugs. Although most adult fireflies eat nectar and pollen, the larvae are carnivores and enjoy snaking on slugs, grubs, snails and even aphids. So the little glow worms (yep, the larvae sometimes glow) are actually natural pesticides for the garden.

4) Speaking of pests, Avoid pesticides and fertilizers. Commercial pesticides don't discriminate and affect a broad range of insects - including the good ones like fireflies. Chemical fertilizers can also cause issue since some of the constituents are the same as the pesticides. Try to use natural fertilizers like compost, and look for natural remedies like companion planting to deter bad bugs.

5) Leave the natural litter. Well, not litter. But the fallen leaves and wood piles kind of litter. Larvae love rotting woods and leaves, like the kind found on the forest floor. Having some of these around will give them a cozy home to grow in.

6) Plant what they like. Your yard will look great too! Native trees and pines are good homes to local fireflies, they love the shade and protection. Fireflies tend to like moist areas, especially wet meadows, forest edges, farm fields, and wild bog, marsh, stream and lake edges. Adult fireflies eat nectar and pollen, so plant natives would be extremely enticing to our flashing friends.

7) Don't put them in a jar. At least not for a long time. A short time for better observation would be OK, but a longer time might kill them. With their numbers dwindling it's best to spot them while they flit about. In fact if you like an evening firefly watch, you can join the Museum of Science Firefly Watch. Help keep track of the firefly population and maybe help save them!

Fireflies bring out the magic of a fresh new summer. Help keep that magic going by taking care to encourage the fairies to light up the night.

Let's Hear it for the Trees! In Celebration of Arbor Day!

Spring is well in. We can tell by the greening of the grass, the cheerful flowers that appear, and, perhaps, the most heartening sight of all - the greening of the trees. How appropriate that as the spring comes full sway, we celebrate Arbor Day!

Angel Oak of South Carolina - she's a beauty, isn't she?

"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit."
-   Robert Louis Stevenson 

We can thank a journalist and nature lover from Nebraska, J. Sterling Morton, for this annual celebration of our most sustaining an valuable natural allies. He recognized the importance of trees to all of nature, and made it his calling to see that everyone understood their importance to our existence. 
"The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful and the ennobling in man." 
-   J. Sterling Morton  

Trees have so much they give to the world, it IS an important thing to remember. They provide air, food, prevent erosion, and so much more. Some of the worst environmental damage is when swaths of forests are destroyed.

"Trees can reduce the heat of a summer's day, quiet a highway's noise, feed the hungry, provide shelter from the wind and warmth in the winter.  You see, the forests are the sanctuaries not only of wildlife, but also of the human spirit.  And every tree is a pact between generations." 
-   George Bush, U.S. President, 1989  

Thank you Ents (from Lord of the Rings)

There certainly is a magic in trees. Walking through an old forest does something for your spirit. Everything feels different. Trees can tell the history of an area in their growth and in their very being - within their rings. You can almost hear them whispering their stories as you walk along. You can hear their warning as well.

We haven't always been careful or considerate of their presence because we want their space for concrete that keeps the earth from breathing. They're in the way. But if not for them there'd be no way. 

So this Arbor Day, if you don't want the Ents to get you, take some time and plant a tree, or tend some trees. Walk in one of our amazing parks, or really take a look at the New Jersey Pinelands. Feel the magic that the trees provide, and carry that with you throughout the year. They are a precious commodity that should be listened to. 

We are Groot (Guardians of the Galaxy)

The Magic of Firefly Summer Nights

It's been a long time since I was a little girl catching fireflies in the summer. Yet seeing them sparkling on a warm summer night still holds all of that magic and wonder for me..

I always know when summer has truly arrived when the first twinkles appear at twilight. They're dancing like little fairies

Despite my love of summer and fireflies, there are a number of things I never knew about them until recently.

• It remains a bit of a mystery as to why the western US states don't have the wonder of lightening bugs. There are some species that don't actually glow, and they can be found in sections of the west. There are also some parts of Utah that have glowing lightening bugs. It's nice to know there are still mysteries around.

• Fireflies have been having habitat problems, just as many wild creatures have. They live, breed, lay their eggs, and are born in the same area. Pave over that area and no more fireflies around. They don't relocate. That's sad.

• To help our nightlights to keep on glowing, let your grass grow a little longer. Have trees and dense shrubs around your property. They also like leaf piles and rotty wood around. Add water features to your yard - even a bird bath will do. Keep your outdoor lighting to a minimum. And most importantly - do not use chemicals and pesticides that will kill all the larvae. 

• There's a program where you can certify your backyard as a Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Pretty cool. I may have to do this myself. You can also sign up to participate in a Firefly Watch to help scientists learn more about the evening lightshows.

•  There's a place in Tennessee where there are annual Firefly Watches. Thousands of fireflies flicker in synchronicity. This is going on my dream trip list.

• This is cool and sad at the same time. Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat.  But also, luciferin is used in many medical research projects. It is used used as markers to detect blood clots and tuberculosis cells, as well as other research. Luckily, there is a synthetic luciferin available, although some place still harvest fireflies for the chemical.

• That twinkling glow is created by the most perfect light source. 100% of the energy in the chemical reaction is used for light. No heat is created.

I like to think of fireflies as the harbingers of summer. They are the singers of the warm days, the fairies that light the path. They are a part of the magic of nature,