More winged things to count

Do you live where fireflies light up your sky? If so, I'm jealous of you. (Southern California lacks lightning bugs.)

If you are fortunate enough to see those beetles with tails that flash, you can contribute to Firefly Watch, organized by Museum of Science Boston. The museum is working with researchers from Tufts University and Fitchburg State College to track fireflies, but they need citizen scientists to help them learn about the beetles' geographic distribution and activity during summer. The museum's website says fireflies might be affected by human-made light and pesticides in lawns, so the data can investigate those effects.

This is the event's third year. It began in mid-April and will continue through October. You can join the citizen science project now!

Photo courtesy of Nature