Fireflies and campfire June 29 at Wooster Memorial Park

An evening with no moon and a chance to learn about and observe fireflies — summer at its best. The Friends of Wooster Memorial Park invites everyone to observe and learn about fireflies and enjoy a campfire at the park on Saturday, June 29.

Carrie Elvey will lead the event. She is a community outreach specialist with the United Titanium Bug Zoo, the outreach arm of the Department of Entomology at Ohio State University’s Wooster campus.

“This is a low key walk and a great chance to relax around the campfire and enjoy the beautiful park and the natural firefly light show,” Elvey said.

Elvey explained that by this time of year, there have been enough warm days for the bug larvae to have emerged. “The open fields and woods are a great location (for observing fireflies),” she said. “(It’s) easily accessible and away from some of the lights of Wooster.”

She said that there are over 20 species of fireflies documented in Ohio. Not all of them are nighttime fliers. Each night flying species has its own pattern of flashes, which can help with identification. Fireflies spend most of their lives (up to two years) in the loose soil as larvae and are voracious predators of soft-bodied invertebrates like worms and snails. “Some female fireflies are classic femme fatales,” Elvey said. “But you’ll have to come to the walk to hear about that.”

The event is family friendly and accessible for all ages. Anyone who doesn’t wish to walk may sit by the fire and observe the firefly light show.

Fireflies and Campfire with the United Titanium Bug Zoo will be held at 8:30 p.m. at Wooster Memorial Park, 5197 Silver Road in Wooster. The event is free and will begin at the education parking area.

Participants are asked to bring chairs for sitting around the fire. Be sure to dress for the weather, wear sturdy footwear and bring water and insect repellent. Elvey suggested that tucking long pants into socks and spraying socks and shoes with insect repellent is good standard practice. “And, like anytime you are outdoors,” she said, “Do a tick check at the end of the day.”

Please note that children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is not required for the free event, but groups are asked to contact the Wooster Community Center ahead of time at (330) 263-5207. Dogs are not invited to this event. Elvey said, “Dogs can disturb the insect life as we wander.”

The event is open to the public and brought to the community by Friends of Wooster Memorial Park (FWMP) volunteers. All FWMP events are sponsored by Wooster Recreation. Find FWMP online at: https://www.friendsofwmp.com

For information about upcoming park events, go to www.friendsofwmp.com/park-calendar. There will be a “Beech Leaf Disease Information Hike” on Sunday, July 21 at 1 p.m.

The United Titanium Bug Zoo is home to over 40 species of living arthropods. For more information go to: go.osu.edu/UTBZ. On Thursdays and Fridays during the summer it is open from 10 a.m.-noon. Staff or volunteers are on hand to give tours, answer questions and help visitors meet and hold some insects. There are also open houses scheduled for July 8 and Aug 10 from 10 a.m.-noon.

Elveyis passionate about sharing the amazing natural history stories that are happening right in our own backyards. “Fireflies are doing some really weird, amazing and creepy things,” she said, “but you’ll have to come to the hike to learn more about that.”