Oh Fireflies...

As a budding naturalist, I volunteer as much as I can in the field but I also fall back on some other skills from time to time.  Below is a press release I helped write for the Arlington Master Naturalist program that I just graduated from and Long Branch Nature Center about the upcoming Firefly Festival (July 11).  Naturally, I'll be volunteering at the event too.  Can't wait to see it and hope you can make it too!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arlington’s Second Annual Firefly Festival Celebrates Summer’s Natural Night Lights, July 11, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.Enjoy firefly-themed games, crafts, nature walks and a “catch-and-release” hunt
ARLINGTON, Virginia (June 29, 2010) – A favorite childhood memory: Looking across a darkened meadow or across a canopy of trees at night and seeing hundreds of tiny lights flashing, dipping and bobbing – fireflies signaling in the night. Relive these memories and share new ones with your family at Arlington’s second annual Firefly Festival on Sunday, July 11, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. at Fort C.F. Smith Park (2411 N. 24th Street, Arlington, VA 22207).

Sponsored by the Long Branch Nature Center as part of the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, the Firefly Festival is an opportunity to “celebrate fireflies, spend time with family and friends in a great Arlington setting, and teach people more than they every thought possible about these amazing insects,” says Alonso Abugattas, Acting Director of Long Branch Nature Center. “We all know and love fireflies, or lightning bugs as some people call them, but how often do we really stop and enjoy the show they put on? Our Firefly Festival is a great way to spend time outside with family and friends, and have fun with fireflies.”
Last year’s event included more than 400 festival-goers. This year, attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic to the park and enjoy a wide range of events, including: firefly arts and crafts, bug bingo, flashlight games, storytelling with marshmallows around a campfire, and a glowing trail nature walk. Everyone is encouraged to take place in an old-fashioned firefly hunt (catch-and-release required). And all who attended will be treated to a light show from Arlington’s more than 20 firefly species across the park’s expansive field and tree line.

The festival also boasts a terrific learning opportunity for those wanting to understand more about fireflies. Naturalists will be on hand to explain how to attract fireflies to backyard habitats, and attendees will learn how to maintain their backyards to suit to these and other insects.

Fascinating Firefly Facts

• There are approximately 2,000 firefly species in the world and somewhere between 24 and 36 of those species live in the Washington, DC, area.
• Fireflies light up as part of the mating process, although not all fireflies glow. Those that do emit light are primarily males signaling to attract females, who may or may not accept the invitation.
• One local firefly species – the Femme Fatale or Photuris genus – is predatory. The female will send a false signal to a male of another species to attract him and will then eat him when he arrives to mate.
• Fireflies can glow at all states of development. Some firefly larva, found under rocks and logs, also glow and are sometimes referred to as glowworms.
• The light produced by a firefly is 98% efficient with little heat given off. Scientists are studying this phenomenon to learn how to recreate it in other lighting applications.

Firefly Festival admission is $5 per person or up to $20 per family, and tickets can be purchased at the event. Heavy rain will cancel the event.

Contact: Long Branch Nature Center at 703-228-6535 or visit http://www.arlingtonva.us/calendar/default.aspx#EventDetails_9772.

About the Event’s Sponsors: Long Branch Nature Center is the sponsor of the Firefly Festival and is part of The Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources (PRCR), which promotes wellness and vitality through dynamic programs and attractive public spaces. PRCR’s vision is to ensure that Arlington is a happy and healthy place to live, learn, work and play.

Long Branch Nature Center: http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ParksRecreation/scripts/nature/ParksRecreationScriptsNatureLongbranch.aspx

Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture Resources:

http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ParksRecreation/ParksRecreationMain.aspx


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