Lights Out for Lightning Bugs 2024

 

Lights Out For Lightning Bugs: Starting June 1 through the month of June, you can do your part to help protect and conserve the fireflies in your backyard. The decline of fireflies worldwide is due to many reasons all of which are results of human causes. The most obvious cause is light pollution. The lights interfere with the mating behaviors of fireflies. Fireflies lighting displays are how they find mates, and if artificial light is shining, they can't compete or see their mates.
We can help by simply turning off outdoor lighting during the mating season, which in our area is mostly the month of June. If you can't turn off your lights completely, consider shading them so they are focused to a smaller area on the ground, or use a timer or motion detectors to reduce the amount of time the lights are on at night.
Reducing or eliminating lighting also helps other nocturnal insects and others species of birds, reptiles and mammals. Humans also benefit from darkness by improving natural circadian rhythms and other health benefits. If we reduce our lighting, we will see reduction in energy costs too.
So we hope you will join us in the Lights Out For Lightning Bugs this June. Go outside and watch for fireflies and enjoy the dark skies in your favorite park or backyard. Scan the QR code in the poster or go to our website to find out more

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to our firefly friends and followers! We are looking forward to the 2024 PAFF events. The 12th Annual PA Firefly Festival will be held on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29. The Glow and Know Campouts are scheduled for Saturday, June 22 and Tuesday, June 25.

Once again in an effort to manage the demand to see the fireflies and protect our local habitats, all of the PAFF event registrations are available only through a lottery. The lottery entry application is FREE. Go to this link to complete your application for as many events that you want to be entered. You may enter multiple events, but only enter one time per event. The applications will be available until the drawing takes place on March 31, 2024. Be sure to visit pafireflyevents.org for more information and details.

Lights Out For Lightning Bugs

Once again, PA Firefly Festival and its partners are promoting a public awareness campaign to reduce and eliminate light pollution across Pennsylvania.  We know that Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) has detrimental effects on the mating of fireflies.  Competing light in the environment interferes with the fireflies' ability to see each other's flashes and be able to find each other to mate.   If they can't mate, then the future generations are lost. 

Anyone can participate in "Lights Out" by simply turning off the outdoor lights or shielding them from shining into the sensitive habitats in your yard.  Try installing motion detectors and timers (if you have security concerns) to at least decrease the impacts.   If you do it for one week, you may find you can do it all summer.  You will be helping not only fireflies, but other nocturnal creatures like moths, bats, turtles and birds. 

Human beings have also been impacted by ALAN, and you will do yourself a favor by allowing yourself to experience darkness.  One night this summer, go outside, sit and enjoy some darkness away from the lights of the city.  You may be surprised at how fast your eyes can adjust and what you will be able to see.  It just may be an extraordinary natural light show of fireflies or the Milky Way.

Winners of the 2023 Glamping with Fireflies Raffle

Two Grand Prize winners were drawn on Saturday, May 27, Keun An and Jennifer Mulcahy were the lucky winners.  They have chosen their prize. One has chosen a night of "Glamping" with fireflies, while the other has chosen the $300 cash prize.  The raffle surpassed our goal of $3000.  The proceeds will benefit our Firefly Educational Programs and help to support students and faculty studying fireflies in our area and around the world.  Thank you to all of those who purchased a chance.  We hope to continue to offer this next year.

The Lottery is CLOSED

 The 2023 Lottery entry period is now CLOSED.  We had over 1500 applications.  Thank you to everyone who entered.  Congratulations to those whose names have been selected for the 130 available spots at the 2023 PA Firefly Events. 

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If your name has been chosen to attend an event you selected, you will be notified by email on Sunday, April 2.  You will receive a link and a code to the ticketing website, so you can register for the event of your choice within 48 hours of that notification.  Only adults need to be registered for the events.  Children 5 to 11 years old are FREE and do not need to be registered.  These events are not intended for children under 5-yo.  If you choose to not register for an event you entered or miss the deadline (April 4, 2023), your space will open to the next person in the queue.  So if you aren't notified on Sunday, you may still be in the queue.  Those notified after April 4, or subsequent dates, will also have 48 hours in which to register, and the queue will remain active until all spaces have been claimed.  We will then announce when all the spots have been claimed.

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Stay tuned for announcements about other Private Firefly Tour opportunities and the "Glamping Raffle".  These will be announced once the registration for the events has concluded.

 

Thank you again to all who entered.  We sincerely believe a “lottery” system for registration is the fairest and most equitable solution.  It is PAFF’s mission to educate the public about the fireflies of Pennsylvania in order to protect and preserve the fireflies for future generations.  So, we hope you will appreciate this effort as we strive to provide the most responsible and sustainable firefly tourism programs.

The PAFF Board Approves Changes for 2023

 The following items were approved at the January 28th Pennsylvania Firefly Festival Inc. board meeting.

• The 2023 PAFF Officers and Directors were approved, including Jeff Calta as President, Peggy Butler as Secretary; Ken Butler as Treasurer; Rod Daum, Director; Matt Miskie, Director; Sam Butler, Director; Dr. Sarah Lower, Director. 

• The popular local’s night event will return for the 2023 festival week.  The Local’s Night event will be held on Thursday, June 29th starting at 9 PM.  This exclusive event is free for  the first twenty-five (25) Forest County residents who pre-register and provide their Forest County mailing address.  To protect the habitat, the first twenty-five qualified Forest County residents who register will be notified  and placed on a list for admittance. Register at this link, or at www.pafireflyevents.org/2019-locals-night.

• The 11th Annual PA Firefly Festival will be held on Friday, June 30th and Saturday, July 1 for a limited pre-registered audience selected by a lottery drawing.  To enter the lottery, each adult must complete the Google Form and register at this link before March 31.  You may enter for more than one event, but each person should only enter once per event.  

• The Glow & Know Campouts will be another opportunity offered by PAFF for learning more about the fireflies and their habitats while camping overnight in Kellettville.  The 2023 campouts are scheduled for Saturday, June 24 and Wednesday, June 28.  Registration for the campouts are also by lottery drawing.  Use the above link for the Google form or go to this page https://www.pafireflyevents.org/copy-of-10th-pa-firefly-festival-vide on the pafireflyevents.org

Stay tuned for more information on how to enter the “Glamping with Fireflies” Raffle and private tour information coming in April.  

International Firefly Symposium, Portugal 2022

  Ken & I were proud to attend the International Firefly Symposium in Gaia, Portugal in June 2022, sponsored by Fireflyers International Network (FIN).  We had been waiting for 2 years for the opportunity which was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and travel restrictions.  Since 2012, we have learned more about fireflies than we ever thought we would need to know.  We've learned about the biology of fireflies, ecology, conservation, and the issues concerning ecotourism thanks to the help of firefly researchers and expert authors like Lynn Faust, Sarah Lower, Avalon Owens, and of course Sara Lewis.  So, we were honored to be asked to present at this year's IFS about firefly tourism in Pennsylvania. 

Portugal as a country is very special.  The cities of Porto and Villa Nova de Gaia are beautiful and historic.   The terraced landscapes along the Duro river were breathtaking.  We enjoyed meeting the people, eating the food, especially the seafood, and drinking the vinho.  

The FIN/IFS held at the Parque Biologico de Gaia was three days of presentations and exhibits on firefly ecology, behavior, taxonomy, phylogeny, genetics, conservation, citizen science, art, and society.  It sounds very heavy and scientific, but surprisingly inspirational and enlightening! 

The IFS was mainly a chance for us to meet other researchers and firefly experts from around the world that we couldn't pass up. Our presentation titled "Pennsylvania Firefly Tourism: Be Careful What You Wish For" was well received by the audience, but we took away much more than we gave.  We met over 70 people from across the US, North, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.  Most impressive were the young students who presented and exhibited posters.   PAFF was among the sponsors that helped the students with travel stipends so they could attend the IFS.  The most amazing thing that stood out for us was that even though we had just met most of these people for the first time in person (many we knew by name or from virtual meetings), we became fast friends all because of a little lightning bug.  We will have many fond memories to look back on, but now we look forward to Mexico City in 2025!

Planning for the 10th Season of Fireflies!

 We are counting down the days until our 10th season of events.  We are planning for 3 Glow & Know Campouts and 2 nights of the PA Firefly Festival.  The first event of the season starts on Tuesday, June 8 with the Glow & Know Campout at Scarlett Knob Campground in Fayette County, near Ohiopyle. Saturday, June 18 the G&K campout is at Camp Lutherlyn in Butler County.  Next, the 10th Annual PAFF will be held in Kellettville on Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25.  The last event will be the G&K campout on Tuesday, June 28 in Kellettville.  Each event offers firefly programs with experts, guided interpretative firefly viewing, and fun for all.  Online pre-registration is required for all events.  Space is strictly limited to ensure a safe and intimate setting that protects the habitats of the fireflies.  

Registration will begin on May 1st at 9AM EDT.  Links for the registration will be posted on the website, pafireflyevents.org.  Subscribers to the quarterly newsletter will receive advance notification of the links.  So, be ready with your credit card when the box office opens.   Here are some tips and courtesies to keep in mind when registering:

• Please register you and your party for only ONE event.  Booking multiple dates with the intent of attending only one prevents others from attending on the night of their choice
• Complete your registration and check out as soon as possible.  Holding tickets in a cart does not complete your registration. It only blocks others from registration.  It can crash the site and you may lose your spot when you eventually check out.
• You do not have to have a PayPal account to checkout.  PayPal is our credit card processor.  
• Registration is non-refundable, but is transferrable.  If you are unable to attend your scheduled event, please feel free to send someone in your place.  We do not ask for IDs at check-in.
• There are no tickets. You will get a wristband when you check in.  DO print a receipt.

We appreciate that the demand to see fireflies is immense.  There are estimated to be over 100,000 people trying to see fireflies this year in the US.  We are only one of a handful of sites in North America where people can go see the Synchronous fireflies.   That said, we are doing everything we can to maintain a responsible and sustainable eco-tourism opportunity.  We want to raise awareness of the significance of the firefly in the ecosystem of the forest while we protect the environment for future generations of fireflies.   We hope you will be one of the lucky patrons at one of our events this year or in the future.  

PA Firefly Festival Inc. Adopts ESG for 2022

The PA Firefly Festival (PAFF) is committed to incorporating environmental, social and

governance (ESG) into their long-term planning at their September 18 board meeting.

Over the past two years, ESG has been incorporated by leading companies and non-

profit organizations into their long-term sustainability planning. Companies have moved

beyond verbally “supporting” environmental and social awareness by incorporating ESG

into every part of the organization.

PAFF has always embraced environmental and social responsibility. One core
 

mission is to use environmental science as a tool to unite diverse races and cultures

because everyone loves fireflies!

Adopting ESG will provide the following Benefits to PAFF :

1) Brings PAFF into the mainstream of corporate governance.

2) Promotion of ESG in all PAFF materials will inform potential grantors about

PAFF’s commitment to the environment and social responsibility.

ESG goals for 2022 include:

•  PAFF will recruit additional culturally diverse environmental science academics to

join our advisory board.

• Write a grant to solicit $5,000 of philanthropic support for providing up to ten days

of in-school PAFF presentations to fiscally challenged culturally diverse public

schools in 2022. Elementary schools will be the primary focus.

The 9th PA Firefly Festival Wrap-up

 

The PA Firefly Festival & Events have concluded for the season.  The weather cooperated and the fireflies were in abundance for  both the Friday and Saturday night events.  The Glow & Know Campout campers were also able to watch and identify synchronous fireflies and several others at each of the 3 campouts earlier in June.  We had just the right number of people at each event.  

At the festival, exhibitors from Bucknell University, Chapman State Park, Pennsylvania DCNR Forestry, Mass Audubon Firefly Watch and PA Firefly Festival provided interesting displays for the visitors to look at while check-in was happening.  Everyone enjoyed the music by Matt Miskie, and learned a lot from Don Salvatore's presentation "The Secret Lives of Fireflies" before the firefly walks and viewing began after dusk.  

At dusk, volunteer guides led small groups of people along the Tionesta Creek to observe "Chinese Lanterns" and then the groups were combined to go to the bleachers in the camp in the forest to view the "Synchronous Light Show".  Matt Miskie once again provided a serenade and Jeffrey Calta used the Bluetooth Audio system to provide the interpretive firefly talk to listeners using the wireless earpieces.  It made for a calm and relaxing encounter with the audience AND the fireflies.  

This year as we emerged from the constraints of the COVID19 pandemic, we decided to take the opportunity to reboot, and refocus our attention on the conservation through firefly education.  It worked.  Going forward, the PA Firefly Festival and Glow & Know Campouts will continue to emphasize education and quality experience over the crowds and extraneous festivities.  

Thank you to the PAFF Board of Directors Jeffrey Calta, Ken Butler, Peggy Butler, Sarah Lower, Matt Miskie, Sam Butler, and Jennifer Moore; expert presenter Don Salvatore; the volunteers Louise Salvatore, Patricia Calta, Rod Daum, Kay McKenna, Joe Butler, Tara Nadeau, Kara Lederer, and Summer Cogis for all the hard work not only at the festival but through out the year.  

Fireflies are heating up!

The first fireflies of the season are starting to emerge here in Forest County. We are observing the high tree top single flashes of Pyractomena borealis and just the beginning of Photuris versicolor complex aka "Chinese Lanterns" in the fields and along the creeks. The heat and rains predicted this week should help to bring out Synchronous fireflies within the next week or so. Wednesday, June 9 is our first Glow & Know campout at Scarlett Knob, in Fayette County near Ohiopyle. We are expecting to see a spectacular Synchronous show. We still have space available, so if you are a camper you won't want to miss this opportunity.

We are also promoting a new initiative that we learned about from Eileen Michelle of Maine. "Lights Out for Lightning Bugs". We are encouraging everyone in Forest County, and for that matter, everywhere in Pennsylvania to take part

Scientists believe that the world is losing firefly populations, and one reason is simply light pollution. It may not be surprising to imagine that fireflies are especially prone to the impacts of artificial light pollution. However, Tufts University firefly researcher, Avalon Owens, did a study here in Kellettville in 2019 to find out the specific reasons. In a controlled month-long study, she found that the flashing displays of male fireflies were impacted more by certain colors and intensities of light than others. What was even more concerning and compelling was that light of any color essentially shuts down the flashing replies of females to attract her mate. If fireflies are blinded by lights (especially white and amber lights) or their flashes are overpowered by extensive and prolonged light intrusion, they cannot find a mate and thereby, the next generation is lost.

So, help the fireflies and lightning bugs in your yard find each other. Turn off or shade your porch and outside lights, at least for the week of Sunday, June 20 through Saturday, June 26. You may even discover you can keep them off through the end of summer, or at least put them on a timer or motion detector, so they don’t burn all night.

  illustration by P. Butler, 2021

Light pollution not only impacts fireflies, it also impacts us. There are many studies that suggest our natural sleep/wake cycles are disrupted by the use of artificial lights and screens.  Poor sleep leads to more health and wellness issues.  So, we need to let our eyes and brains experience more darkness.   We need to get more comfortable with and embrace the darkness.  Allow yourself to experience a truly dark night this summer.  Turn out the lights, sit on your porch or around a dim glowing campfire.  Let your eyes adjust and you’ll be amazed by what you can see. You may even see a spectacular firefly show.

On the Bright Side!

THANK YOU to everyone who registered.   The demand is growing every year, and the June 25th & 26th events sold out in less than 10-minutes!  We had over 700 hits on the registration site that morning for 100 spots. We appreciate that many of you are disappointed that you didn't get a spot, and hope that you will be able to join us at a festival in the future. 

On the bright side, there are still spaces for campers to register at the Glow & Know Campouts. These campouts are designed for novice to experienced campers.  They provide an immersive firefly experience for no more than 15 campers with experienced firefly guides and informative programs.  Each campout takes place in a different Western Pennsylvania location to avoid stressing any one habitat, and offers unique amenities and activities. The mid-week events also provide a better viewing opportunity, because we avoid the crowds on the weekends.  The first event on Wednesday, June 9 at Scarlett Knob Campground in Fayette County, near Ohiopyle, kicks off the Synchronous Firefly Season in Pennsylvania.   The last event on Wednesday, June 23rd at Kellettville Campground, brings the campout closer to home during what is typically the peak of Synchronous Fireflies in our neck-of-the-woods.

The G&K Campouts registration include: campsite fees, firewood, food and beverages, program materials, entertainment and guided walks.  Children under 10-years-old are free with a registered adult(s).  Campers must provide their own tent, (camper/trailer/RV where permitted) and all camping gear.  Check each location for information on specific requirements and rules.  

If you are not able to participate in an organized firefly event or campout this year, we hope you will take the time to look for fireflies in your own backyard or local farm fields.  We caution you to NOT venture into unfamiliar forest areas or terrain without a guide or educating yourself. The PA Firefly Festival organization supports and partners with other groups like Fireflyers International Network, Mass Audubon Firefly Watch, and the Xerces Society. You can find a multitude of resources and information on fireflies and how to enjoy, preserve and protect the fireflies in your area and the world at their sites as well.  Recently, the International Union of Conservation of Nature released a report on the impacts of tourism on fireflies all over the world.   PAFF has drafted its own letter of support towards creating and following sustainable firefly tourism practices. You can get more information on our website PAFireflyEvents.org and subscribe to our quarterly newsletter at the bottom of our home page.  

Planning for the "NEW NORMAL" in 2021

 The planning for the 9th Annual PA Firefly Festival is underway.  We have new people and new ideas to help make the "New Normal" a reality.  We want to officially announce our three new PAFF Board members: Matt Miskie,  Jennifer Moore and Sarah Lower, Ph.D.  Matt is a professional musician and has been part of every PAFF musical line-up since 2013.  As usual, he will be sharing his musical talents and audio technical expertise to our festivities by providing not only entertainment to the audience, but posting the concert to Facebook Live for the virtual audience.  Jennifer Moore is a DCNR State Park Educator for Chapman Dam State Park, and has also been a contributor to the festival as a Nature Center Exhibitor.  Jen will be helping with the Nature Center Exhibits and Children's Activities at the festival events.  Sarah Lower, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Bucknell University in the Biology Department.  Sarah was part of the original research team that came to Kellettville in 2012 to identify the Synchronous Fireflies in the Allegheny National Forest and has since returned to several PA Firefly Festivals.  Sarah is bringing students from Bucknell to study fireflies in Kellettville this summer and they will all be participating in the Nature Exhibits at the festival events. 

Our next new person is our Summer Research Intern, Caitlin Ball.  Caitlin is currently a Junior at Tufts University majoring in Biology with a minor in Geoscience.  She is from Hopkinton, New Hampshire.  Caitlin will be working for 6 weeks (or more) in Kellettville and Forest County doing research on the local fireflies and helping with the various firefly seasonal events including Glow & Know Campouts and the PA Firefly Festival events. 

To say the least, this past year has been challenging for everyone.  We tried to turn the challenge into a learning opportunity. Last year's festival became a Virtual Stay-At-Home festival that required us to learn new computer skills and adapt to the constraints of Social Distancing and the wearing of facemasks.  Now we know how to safely have an in-person festival and provide small intimate firefly tours.  Above all, we learned that the demand to see fireflies is still great and that the public is willing to support a new approach to the PA Firefly Festival.  

This year, the PA Firefly Festival will run for two nights Friday, June 25 AND Saturday, June 26.  The registration is $30 per person and limited to 50 people per night.  The events will now start at 7:00 pm until 12-midnight.  Music, Nature Exhibits, Firefly Experts, Presentations and Firefly Tours are all included.  Online registration will open May 1st. 

Additionally, PAFF is also sponsoring 3 unique camping experiences.  The Glow & Know Campouts became very popular last year, so we're offering 3 separate events at sites where Synchronous Fireflies can be found:

• Glow & Know at Scarlett Knob in Ohiopyle on Wednesday, June 9
• Glow & Know at Camp Lutherlyn in Butler County, Saturday, June 19
• Glow & Know at Kellettville Campground, Forest County, Wednesday, June 23

These campouts are restricted to 15 campers (not including children under 10).  Registration is $100 per camper (children under 10 are free).  Registration includes campsite fees, firewood, meals, program materials, activities and firefly presentations.  These campouts offer a complete firefly and nature immersion experience for the novice to the expert camper.  Participants can even participate in the firefly research and community science firefly watch projects.

For notifications and links to the online registration for ALL the 2021 PA Firefly Events, subscribe to our quarterly PAFF newsletter on our website pafireflyevents.org.

Although change can be hard and these restrictions might seem severe.  We know that they are necessary to sustain the PA Firefly Festival as an organization as well as protect and conserve the firefly habitats and populations in Pennsylvania.  We look forward to celebrating fireflies and providing firefly educational programs for many years to come.

Firefly Puzzle for Fun & Prizes

 Here's a Crossword Puzzle created by our PAFF Board President, Jeffrey Calta for your amusement.  Prizes will be awarded to the first 6 correct entries.  Here are the rules and links to the puzzle:

 PAFFFIREFLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE CONTEST RULES

1. CLICK HERE FOR THE CROSSWORD PUZZLE

2. CROSSWORD PUZZLE MUST BE COMPLETED ELECTRONICALLY AND EMAILED/SHARED TO JEFFREYCALTA@GMAIL.COM BY NOON, DECEMBER 14,  2020.  ONE PUZZLE/PRIZE PER HOUSEHOLD.

3. COMPLETED PUZZLES WILL BE ENTERED INTO THE CONTEST ACCORDING TO DATE AND TIME RECEIVED AT JEFFREYCALTA@GMAIL.COM

4. THE FIRST SIX (6) CORRECTLY COMPLETED PUZZLES RECEIVED (BASED ON RECEIVED DATE AND TIME) WILL WIN A 2021 FIREFLY CALENDAR PRODUCED BY AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER RADIM SCHREIBER OF FIREFLY EXPERIENCE.ORG.

5. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL AND ANNOUNCED IN THE 2020 WINTER EDITION OF PAFF NEWSLETTER. MAILING ADDRESS WILL BE REQUESTED FOR CALENDAR TO BE MAILED.

6. COMPLETED PUZZLES WILL BE RECEIVED UNTIL DECEMBER 10, 2020. ANY RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PRIZES.

7. NOTE: PUZZLE CAN BE OPENED AS A MICROSOFT EXCEL and/or GOOGLE SHEETS FILE. IT IS “PROTECTED”. PLACE THE CURSOR ON EACH OPEN SQUARE. WHEN THE WHITE CROSS APPEARS, A LETTER ENTRY CAN BE MADE. 

8.  THE GOOGLE SHEET IS A SHARED DOCUMENT. YOU MUST MAKE A COPY AND ENTER YOUR ANSWERS ON THE COPY.  DO NOT ENTER THEM INTO THE ORIGINAL OR OTHERS WILL SEE YOUR ANSWERS!

Have FUN! Stay home, stay safe, stay healthy!

Post Festival and World Firefly Day Thoughts

Once again, we at PA Firefly Festival (PAFF) have learned a lot from experiencing this "new normal" while going through the pandemic this summer.  We hope you had a chance to enjoy the firefly season in your backyards this year as much as we did.  We also learned very quickly how to creatively use technology in spite of the bandwidth limitations here in the forest.  You can still view the Virtual Stay-At-Home PA Firefly Festival on our Youtube channel.  Those videos will remain there at least until December.   Also, if you didn't get a chance to tune in that day on the Live Music on Facebook by Matt Miskie, treat yourself to a private concert.  He's an amazing talent and added a lot to both the virtual experience as a contributor to the soundtracks in the videos, as well as live music to the folks here that afternoon and those watching fireflies that night.  So, thanks again to Matt.

The fireflies also seemed to enjoy their furlough and absence of a crush of people in the forest.  We still have a lot of fireflies in the area even as the synchronous season is waning with the Full Buck Moon.  We will be watching and monitoring.  The PAFF Summer Research Intern, Ms. Valerie Kuppek from Dickinson College is continuing her work on the Kellettville waterways survey through July, and analyzing the data she's collected.  She will have a report to share by fall that should help us in future years to come.

There is one thing for sure, change is inevitable.  We never expected that a novel virus would interrupt our lives so much this year, and that many of the plans which were so painstakingly made and anticipated would be eliminated.  However, we also learned there's  A LOT we can do without, that less is more, simplicity is better, and peace and quiet is a treasure often taken for granted in this age (which fireflies already know). We are committed to our mission, and we will focus on the experience rather than numbers.  Your support and interest in fireflies are appreciated.  With your help and cooperation, PAFF will endeavor to protect the fireflies and conserve their habitat for your enjoyment and the generations to come.

Until next year, #GlowAtHome2020.

Photos by Peggy Butler, 2020

Virtual Stay-At-Home PA Firefly Festival

The FREE Virtual Stay-At-Home PA Firefly Festival will take place online on Saturday, June 27.    Starting at 6 pm EDST, go to our website pafireflyevents.org, Facebook or Youtube channel to get connected to the playlists.  You will be able to view video presentations from firefly experts and enjoy the art and music that would have been happening at our live in-person festival.  We are also going to share some videos of virtual firefly walks/viewing including safety tips and “Firefly Friendly Etiquette”.  Here's a list of what you will see that day. 

• Art After Dark presented through a grant by the Elk County Council on the Arts and Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts
• Art After Dark virtual art exhibition with Music by Matt Miskie and Lighted Stained Glass creations by Jeffrey Calta
• Link to Ibiyinka Alao, United Nations Ambassador of Art, author and producer of the animated film, “My Fireflies”

• Firefly Experts video
• Sara Lewis, PhD, Tufts University,  “Firefly Myths” from her 2017 PAFF presentation
• Don Salvatore, Firefly Watch Citizen Science Project , “Secret Lives of Fireflies” from his Boston Museum of Science presentation
• Valerie Kuppek, 2020 PAFF Summer Research Intern, Local firefly science and monitoring
• And more...

• Virtual Firefly Walks
• Peggy Butler, Video from PAFF board member and firefly walk guide, 
• Radim Schreiber, FireflyExperience.org, macro photography and videography of fireflies in the Allegheny National Forest area
• 2020 T-shirts
• The t-shirts are a fundraiser for PAFF

Click Here to buy or make a donation

We know it’s hard to miss out on the “real thing” this firefly season.  We hope viewing this online experience brings you some sense of the wonder, joy and HOPE this little light-in-the-forest holds for us all.  We look forward to the years ahead when we can enjoy them together in-person.

2020 Revised PA Firefly Interpretive Programs and Camp Outs and the Virtual Stay-At-Home PA Firefly Festival

In light of the lifting of restrictions in our area by Governor Wolf, the PA Firefly Festival has decided to offer some limited firefly viewing programs this June. We feel confident that we can follow the CDC guidelines and safely provide limited viewing opportunities and restricted educational programs. Therefore, we are releasing the revised schedule with links to registrations. Be aware that attendance is limited to 25 participants or less to minimize health risks and environmental impacts. Physical distancing of at least 6 feet will be respected at all events. Masks will be encouraged but not required.

By registering, participants assume responsibility for any and all risk due to possible exposure to COVID-19. Anyone with a fever or who presents with other obvious symptoms will be asked to withdraw from events. Please DO NOT register if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 2 weeks.

This announcement DOES NOT apply to the 8th Annual PA Firefly Festival. All daytime activities have been cancelled. We are still planning to host a Virtual STAY-AT-HOME Online Festival. You will still be able to enjoy some video, music and slideshow presentations by firefly and forest experts from your computer or smart devices in the comfort and safety of your home. We will be posting and hopefully streaming this on June 27 on our Youtube Channel, Facebook and Instagram pages. Stay tuned to our website for more details.

The 2020 PAFF T-shirt will be available through Custom Ink starting June 1.

VIRTUAL STAY-AT-HOME FIREFLY FESTIVAL

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The 8th Annual PA Firefly Festival and all Seasonal Firefly Events for the 2020 season are cancelled. But wait… there’s an alternative to the in-person festival and firefly guided tours.  This year, we will present a Virtual Stay-at-Home PA Firefly Festival.  

Using today’s technology, we can still celebrate the joy of the firefly season and continue to educate the public to the best of our ability during this time of social distancing. Some of the scheduled 2020 firefly experts and artists will now participate in a virtual way.  In other words, they will submit photos, videos and slide show presentations which will appear on our website pafireflyevents.org, and our PAFF YouTube Channel, Instagram and/or Facebook pages on June 27th.

The 2020 Virtual PAFF is still a celebration of the joy of fireflies.  With the support of the Forest County Tourism Grant and VisitPAGo.com, we are urging folks to STAY HOME, and take advantage of all of our Social Media and online information to learn about the fireflies in their own backyards.  You can also participate in the science of fireflies by becoming a “Firefly Watcher” on the Firefly Watch Citizen Science Project at the massaudubon.org website. You would be contributing greatly to the world-wide database and helping to advance the science of fireflies.  The virtual Art After Dark sponsored by the Elk County Council of the Arts and Pennsylvania Partners of Art, will feature a presentation by the United Nations Ambassador of Art, Mr.  Ibiyinka Alao, photos and video by world-renowned photographer Radim Schreiber and original music by Pennsylvania’s favorite troubadour, Matt Miskie. Of course, you will be able to order our popular PAFF t-shirts online, designed by Amalia Tonsor, and donations will be accepted through PayPal to help with costs and future festivals.

During the firefly season, we will continue to monitor and conduct our summer research here in Kellettville and throughout Western PA.  Ms. Valerie Kuppek, a rising Senior in Biology from Dickinson College, is our Summer Research Intern. She will be monitoring our local fireflies, and helping to produce a Virtual Firefly Walk once the Synchronous Firefly season begins here in June. We hope to stream, or at least post, the videos online, and we hope you will be able to "catch" the fireflies from the safety and comfort of your home at your convenience.

While we held out hope for this summer as long as we could, we feel strongly this is the right decision.  Our priority is the health and safety of our community and the public. We stress using the “Firefly Etiquette” protocol we have developed over the years.  We hope you will consider your actions or behavior and how it affects everyone including fireflies. We hope to be back in 2021 stronger and better for the experience.

New Website Address

Please take note: We have made a change to the website address, or URL, to better reflect the broad scope of Pennsylvania Firefly Festival's current and future mission.  The new domain is pafireflyevents.org.  We believe this change is more descriptive of the numerous firefly events we offer throughout Forest County and across Pennsylvania each firefly season.  So, reset your bookmarks. You can still find us on Facebook, Twitter and follow this blogspot with all the same links as you did before or email us at pafireflyfestival@gmail.com for more information.

We are optimistically continuing are plans for June firefly events and the festival.  So, STAY HOME, for now, so we can see you in June!

Thank You for Giving!

The 2020 Bridge Builders Week of Giving has concluded and we topped out at $3925!  Almost double our goal.  Thank you to everyone who opened their wallets and made a donation in these uncertain times.  We appreciate your support of our PAFF Summer Research Intern and firefly Educational Programs for this coming firefly season.  We are optimistically looking forward to warm summer nights and lots of fireflies.  Until then, stay well.