Remember when you were a kid, you saw a lot of fireflies, or lightning bugs as they are sometimes called. Now if you go out on a summer's evening, you have to deliberately look to see any fireflies at all. Sure, scientists have noticed this, but in order to do anything about it, they need hard data, and that's really hard to get when you're talking about many different species of a bug that's really hard to see when they're not flashing their shiny hineys. But new photography techniques are getting better at sorting out the little sparkly butts so we can count them. Still, this endeavor needs lots of photographers, and you can help.
Ze Frank doesn't make a lot of jokes about fireflies in this video, because his main concern is getting everyone on board for their conservation. Every species has its niche in the ecosystem, and it's up to us to protect them. You can get involved through the Xerces Society by joining a project or by making a donation.
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