Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, April 10, 2025, when our featured topic will be Luminous Landscapes: Fireflies in the Heart of Texas with Ben Pfeiffer. Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.
==> This month’s in-person location is the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd floor, 402 West 8th St, Georgetown, TX 78626. Come early (6:30 PM) for expert advice, to check out the seed swap board, or just to visit.
==> To attend via Zoom, register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/lLoaYnV_Qe-23rxZ-8sVig#/registration
About our topic: This highly educational and fun talk will discuss the types of fireflies (Lampyridae) found in Texas and across the United States. Join Ben for a captivating exploration of Texas enchanting fireflies, where you’ll discover the diverse species that light up the Lone Star State’s wild landscapes.
Ben will present his research on Texas firefly taxa, highlighting the fascinating species found in nearby river basins and riparian areas. He will show you how to identify common firefly species and learn their flash patterns so you can recognize them in the wild. You’ll also discover why fireflies flash and how they use light to attract mates. Additionally, he will discuss specific threats that are causing fireflies to disappear in many areas of the United States.
Ben will also explain how to certify your property as a firefly habitat, suggest native plants you can grow to help them, and share other ways you can contribute to saving these iconic insects.
Check out these resources:
About our speaker: Ben Pfeiffer is founder of Firefly Conservation & Research (at firefly.org), a firefly conservation and educational organization working to conserve fireflies and their habitats through conservation, education and research efforts.
A recognized public speaker and science educator, Ben’s research work focuses on Texas firefly species. He is working to document the Texas and Southwest firefly diversity and its natural history regarding their life cycle, preferred habitat and unique flash patterns. His research is helping to illuminate much of this never before collected information about Texas’s incredibly rich firefly diversity so that others can work to preserve and enjoy it.
Ben is a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Firefly Working group. He recently completed the Red List Extinction Risk Assessments for Texas firefly species.
Ben studied Biology at Texas State University and is a certified Master Naturalist. He is a lifelong 6th generation Texan and has spent most of his life working to understand Texas ecology and its unique diversity.
At every meeting, we give away a book — about native plants or the meeting topic — to one randomly chosen in-person attendee!
* If we have permission from our guest speaker, we record the presentation for our YouTube channel. (See a list of past topics at this link.)
Have an idea for a speaker? Let Program Leader Susie Hickman know via email to wilco-chapter@npsot.org.
NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public. We hope you attend! Meetings may be in person, virtual, or both, so be sure to check details in the meeting announcement. Meetings are announced on our website, our calendar and Facebook. See upcoming topics on our page Wilco Home or on our Calendar.