Public Outreach

 

The user experience for Firefly Watch is fairly simple and the website has everything well sorted. Users of Firefly Watch can quickly access additional resources to further information and studies on fireflies, have a quick sign on before recording observations, and have the ability to edit and view all their submissions. Although the overall user experience is good, I believe it could be improved upon. When submitting important observations such as identification of species or sex, pulse durations, or other important observations, there is no selection box, and the information has to be written out in additional field notes. The training video on their website mentions Firefly Pro. Firefly Pro was described to have further observational tools available but I could not find the application. Also, iNaturalist can be used in association with Firefly Watch but I found it difficult to use on my iPhone and could only load pictures with a brief description of the species.

Firefly Watch is effectively advertised to the public. The website does not use terminology too complicated for those without much of a background in ecology or other science related fields. They address how relatively quick observation times can be helpful and encourage support. However, the training video going over two hours and being somewhat in a discussion forum manner could discourage some of the public from engaging. The training video could be shortened to one hour by ridding some of the questions asked between speakers and filtering out time spent on irrelevant discussions. The project does offer a positive impact on conservation. I formally believe those engaged in the project begin to recognize the unique characteristics of fireflies and become further aware of how certain environmental factors can alter populations and the distribution of fireflies. There is a huge educational opportunity for those that work on Firefly Watch. Those working on the project begin to learn different behavioral patterns, the differences in sexes and species, and develop techniques to better observe fireflies. I believe the positive impact of the project could go further if there were an easy-to-use application available for mobile phones. The application could have sections divided up to offer general information on firefly species, sex characteristics of different species, flashing patterns, and the different environments of firefly species. The younger generation use their tablets and mobile phones to view things often more than they use their computer or view television.

Firefly Watch offers the chance to bridge the gap between firefly researchers (and other scientific researchers) and the public. While scientific data is collected, the public gains a greater respect for the nature around us and begins understanding the importance of different researchers. The public can learn how noise and light pollution can be detrimental to their surroundings. While Firefly Watch focuses on fireflies, participants gain additional knowledge on the value of biodiversity when they see how everything interacts together. One of the only problems I could see coming from Firefly Watch is how certain members of the public could accidentally disturb fireflies and affect their behaviors or interactions. Those less enlightened on proper techniques for observations could shine lights that cause male fireflies to lose sight of females or mating attempts could be disturbed by someone traversing closer for pictures.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

• Participation Journal

Image
  Prior to participating in the project there was no formal training needed. However, the tutorial video offered on their website was very helpful and I would consider it necessary to view before seriously participating. The video can be found here . The video covers the different species of fireflies, their history, their behaviors, and covers the layout and expected contributions for recording observations. While the video is rather long (over 2 hours), the tutorial is needed to understand the project and accurately record observations. Without watching the video, one could mistake flashing patterns or miss out on recording important information like pulse durations and flash pattern intervals, which are not listed on the Firefly Watch Observation Form but can be added under additional field notes. I began the project on July 2, 2021, around 6 p.m., as I explored the homepage and watched the tutorial video. The video inspired me to pay closer attention to fireflies and helped m...
Read more

Intro to Firefly Watch

  I began Mass Audubon Firefly Watch because fireflies have always interested me, and I remember running after them when I was a child. I grew up calling them lightening bugs and realized later in life they were actually beetles, which Mass Audubon also clarifies. The citizen science project Firefly Watch helps identify different species of fireflies, potential harms, and offers a way to map out specific behaviors and species of fireflies throughout North America. Mass Audubon’s main webpage for Firefly Watch notes how the project can specifically help scientists “learn about the geographic distribution of fireflies and what environmental factors impact their abundance (1).” The project began in 2008 and has numerous experienced firefly researchers all collaborating together and running the project. The list of those researchers can be found here . I participated in the project by providing observations of fireflies within my local community. The project required me to accuratel...
Read more

Conservation Threats

 Fireflies are amazing creatures that can light up the night sky and stun those watching by what appears to be magical. North America is home to over 150 species of fireflies, with the main groups that flash in North America being the Photinus ,  Pyractomena,  and  Photuri (1). The light they display for communicating comes from a chemical reaction created in their lower abdomen. While not all male fireflies light up the sky, many do for the purpose of finding a mate (2). Fireflies begin their lives as larvae and consume snails, earthworms, and other invertebrates. They could spend years as larvae before developing into full fledge adult fireflies, and by that time they’re focused on mating and usually left with a few weeks of life (2). Most female fireflies in North America don’t fly and rest on plants while waiting to flash their receptive light to the right partner (1). Fireflies come out during the warm summer months and there can be 10 or more species all fla...
Read more