I Spy Fireflies!

Grab a friend or bring the family out for our 1st annual “I Spy Fireflies!” Spend two Saturday nights in August exploring Tucson’s creeks and rivers – at night! Our mission: to discover and record where fireflies live and then work to protect and expand their habitat.

On August 1st (7pm - 10pm) join our Community Celebration at Danny Lopez Park and learn all about these magical creatures while visiting the Santa Cruz River. 

Then on August 8th (7pm - 10pm), join our Community Count and venture out to your river destination with one of our survey leads and other participants. You’ll observe the plants, water flows, and creatures that come out at night. Our hope is that fireflies light up the night.

We’ll be surveying over a dozen sites, all areas that have regular flows and riparian forests. When you sign up, you’ll get to choose your top three creek destinations that you’d like to explore.

There are two threatened species of flashing fireflies found in the Tucson area: the Southwest spring firefly (Bicellonycha wickershamorum), which is under review for Endangered Species Act listing, and the Southwest synchronous firefly (Photinus knulli) . Fireflies are becoming more and more rare, and their presence indicates a healthier riparian habitat. The Southwest synchronous fireflies only come out during the summer monsoon, in the evening hours, so this is an ideal time for sightings.

I Spy Fireflies is hosted by Watershed’s River Run Network in partnership with the Xerces Society.