LEWISTOWN — Fireflies have long been symbols of summer, but for environmental educator Jen Moore, they represent something far deeper: discovery, stewardship and a shared responsibility to protect a fragile natural wonder.

Moore, an environmental education specialist with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at the Greenwood Furnace State Park Complex in Huntingdon, traces her fascination to a moment that changed how she understood the night landscape of Pennsylvania.

“I was introduced to synchronous fireflies through the PA Firefly Festival which is held in Kelletville, Pa. each year,” Moore said of the Forest County event.

The Towpath Naturalist Society will host Moore’s program, “Summer Nights with Firefly Lights,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 120 N. Main St., Lewistown.

At the time, Moore was working as an educator at Chapman State Park, where she represented the park at the festival with an informational table. What might have been a routine outreach event became something transformative.

During the festival, she joined the evening walks and nighttime observations that showcase several firefly species found in the region, but one species stood apart.

“I participated in the nightly walks and observations of various firefly species but specifically synchronous,” she said.

Synchronous fireflies, known for flashing in coordinated waves of light, were once believed to exist in the United States only in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Seeing them in Pennsylvania reshaped not only Moore’s understanding, but also her professional direction.

“I became intrigued in this species once thought to only be found in Tennessee,” Moore recalled.

Her interest grew into active involvement. Moore joined the board of the PA Firefly Festival, working alongside others who shared a passion for research, conservation and education. Through those connections, educational programming expanded beyond the festival itself.

“I became part of the board for this group and members conducted programming at Chapman where synchronous fireflies were observed,” she said.

For Moore, these experiences revealed how powerful firsthand encounters with nature can be. Fireflies are easily overlooked, often dismissed as a fleeting childhood memory rather than a living indicator of environmental health. Yet the quiet awe created by hundreds of blinking lights in a darkened forest has the ability to draw people into conservation in a way few other species can.

Since discovering synchronous fireflies, Moore has continued to bring that experience to others through guided programs and interpretive walks.

“Since then, I have enjoyed conducting programs where visitors have the opportunity to view fireflies in a park setting,” she said.

These programs do more than provide spectacle. They create space for visitors to slow down, observe and reconnect with natural rhythms that are increasingly threatened by modern development. Artificial lighting, habitat loss and pesticide use have contributed to declining firefly populations across North America, a reality Moore believes more people need to understand.

“I have also found the importance of educating the public about fireflies as their species are in decline and there are ways that we can help,” she said.

At Greenwood Furnace, Moore continues to build on this mission. Her work integrates science, storytelling and stewardship, helping visitors recognize that protecting fireflies do not require grand gestures, only thoughtful choices. Turning off unnecessary outdoor lights, preserving leaf litter and supporting protected natural spaces all play a role.

Fireflies, Moore emphasizes through her work, are not just performers of a summer light show. They are storytellers of ecosystem health, reminders of darkness we’ve lost and ambassadors for conservation that cross generations. When people stand quietly beneath the canopy and witness synchronized flashes pulsing through the forest, they often leave with a deeper appreciation for what remains — and what could disappear.

That sense of wonder and responsibility is at the heart of Moore’s message, and it will be the focus of the upcoming Towpath Naturalist Society of Mifflin and Juniata County meeting.

Through stories grounded in real experiences and observations, Moore invites audiences to see fireflies not as background scenery, but as living symbols of connection between people, parks and the night sky.

In sharing her journey — from a festival table in Kelletville to leading programs across Pennsylvania — Moore reminds us that discovery often begins with curiosity, grows through education and shines brightest when it is shared.

UP NEXT

This concludes the Towpath Naturalist Society spring meetings. They will resume in September. Annual dues are $10, payable in November. New members and visitors are always welcome.