Author Archives: Hillary T.

About Hillary T.

Where: Mass Audubon Headquarters, Lincoln Who: Massachusetts transplant by way of Florida and New York. Raising two young girls, who she hopes will be budding naturalists Favorite part of the job: Learning something new every day from some of the smartest and most enthusiastic groups of people

Take 5: June 2018 Facebook Favorites

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Hillary T.

Over the course of the 2018 Photo Contest, we will be highlighting 5 photos from the previous month’s entries on Facebook and asking fans to select their favorite. This is just a fun way of sharing some of the amazing entries and doesn’t have to do with the official judging process.

You can pick your favorite by “liking” it on Facebook. Not a Facebook user? Let us know your top pick in the comments. And, there’s still time to enter the contest—the deadline is September 30!

Eastern-screech Owl © David Morris

© Diane Germani

Red-tailed Hawk © Joe Howell

Black-capped chickadee © Joel Sosa

© Shirley LeMay

Nighttime Fireflies JS Mcelvery

Fired Up About Fireflies

Posted on July 5, 2018 by Hillary T.

When it comes to summer rituals, watching fireflies light up the night sky has to be one of the most magical. For generations, these flying insects have been providing wondrous moments for people of all ages. Lately, though, scientists are curious if firefly populations are growing or shrinking. And in order to get those answers, they need your help.

fireflies at night

Enter Firefly Watch

This citizen science project asks people all across the country to report whether or not you see flashing fireflies. The Museum of Science in Boston launched this project 10 years ago. This year, Mass Audubon is carrying the torch (or should we say flash), and we have partnered up with the preeminent firefly researchers from Tufts University (shout out to Sara and Avalon!).

All you need to do is go outside after dark, take stock of your surroundings, and then set a timer. Each observation includes three 10-second time periods. If you see fireflies, sweet! Let us know approximately how many. Didn’t see any? That’s ok! We still want to know that too!

Get to Know Fireflies

The first thing to know about fireflies is that even though they’re often called lightening bugs, they are not a bug (nor are they a fly). Rather they are beetles that have this really cool ability to light up their lower abdomen (the bottom part of their body).

Some of them light up in a specific blinking pattern, like a secret code that they use to “talk” with other fireflies and to find mates. In North America, there are over 150 species. Flashing fireflies (note: not all fireflies flash) fall into three main groups of flashing fireflies: Photinus, Pyractomena, and Photuris.

On first glance, they aren’t easy to tell apart, but the different species have different flash patterns. Before heading out, check out this handy chart.

Get Involved

Ready to be a Firefly Watcher? You can head out on your own or join an upcoming program or event. Find a list of what’s planned, see a map of current observations, and submit your own sightings at massaudubon.org/fireflywatch.