My family has roots in Louisville, Kentucky, where my grandmother has lived for more than 50 years, and which today hosts the headquarters for my employer, the Schneider Electric Sustainability Business. We used to frequently come to Louisville when I was a child. My grandparents' house was on a corner lot with a big yard, and in the warm summer months, the dark air would be filled with the magic of fireflies. Even today - even this week while I am working from Louisville - fireflies have entranced me, a nostalgic throwback to more carefree days spent in the long, humid, sunsets of Kentucky - so different from our mountain home in Colorado. Until very recently, I believed (as did many people I have shared this story with) that there weren't fireflies in Colorado. I've never seen any, and have, in fact, gone out of my way to ensure that my children had the chance to experience them in Kentucky. But, as it turns out, in a twist that reminds me of the importance of both biodiversity and conservation, Colorado does indeed have fireflies. Recently, a team at the Butterfly Pavilion spent two years incubating Colorado firefly larvae that they gathered from one of only six areas in Colorado where fireflies have been seen. The result? Living specimens of these elusive creatures. Were the fireflies always here? Are they a recent transplant, the result of a changing climate? Will they ever be as prolific in Colorado as they are in Kentucky? I, for one, am excited to find out. https://lnkd.in/geJxyDyH #biodiversity #conservation #climatechange #fireflies
Amy - fireflies are very much a part of my Louisville summers. The evening ritual is to watch them in our backyard - in their nightly dance in the dusky summer skies. So soothing - so nostalgic. I can’t wait until my gandsons can stay up late enough to enjoy the magic with me.
I love fireflies too. I haven’t seen them in Texas.
Great story, Amy. Growing up in New England, I took lightning bugs for granted because they were so plentiful each summer. Haven't seen a single one in the 22-years I've lived in Colorado, so I'm glad to hear they're making a comeback!
You would not believe your eyes...
Senior Account Director | Delivering best-in-class ESG Strategy and Reporting
1yI love this story Amy! I once hosted someone from outside the US and they had never seen fireflies before coming to Louisville, a shared memory I will never forget. Its one of the planets most whimsical displays that sparks nothing but pure awe and joy. One of the many things I miss from home. Next time you're there in summer go to the frisbee park section of Cherokee park - the fireflies dance across the backdrop of the wooded areas surrounding in a true natural ballet.