Summer is short so it’s important to get kids outside to enjoy the nice weather, especially at night.
Here’s what a few kids said about the night:
“The bats and fireflies come out when we’re going to bed.”
“The fireflies look like glitter.”
“I can use my walking stick on my hike this week.”
Everyone had a great time at the 8th Annual Community Firefly Hike on July 8, 2023 at Indian Lake County Park. More than 50 kids and 20 adults enjoyed an evening of activities that ended with a hike to see and catch fireflies.
We started the evening with a series of activities. The kids got to make walking sticks and eat s’mores. We even had vegan marshmallows for our Muslim kids. Then we had a variety of exhibits. Heather Kaarakka from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources showed kids the eight different kinds of bats in Wisconsin and then showed the kids on the hike how to hear bats in the area using an electronic sonar detector. Carolyn Beyers from Madison Audubon showed kids three different owls and the kids loved touching the owls and learning more about them. Ernie Stricker, local insect expert, had a display of insects. Finally, Lynn Persson, retired DNR biologist, showed kids could how to use binoculars and the spotting scope.
The hike started about about 8:30 pm and had a few simple rules… you can catch fireflies, but you have to let them go at the end of the evening. Fireflies are breeding, so we wanted the kids to let them complete their life cycle. The kids were very careful and let them all go at the end of the night. Some even shared their fireflies with their younger friends who had trouble catching them.
Overall, it was a great night to be outside!
We’ll see you all next year!
Many thanks to our sponsors: Ice Age Trail Alliance, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Dane County Parks and SSM Health. Also thanks to the many volunteers who made this event happen.
The entire group as we head out to see and catch fireflies.
