Department: Entomology Department

Supervisor: Christy Bills, Invertebrates Collections Manager

Firefly Collector volunteers ensure the continued growth of the body of knowledge about fireflies in the western US.

Firefly Collector volunteers work closely with firefly data reporters (citizen scientists) and the Entomology Department of NHMU to report on and collect fireflies around Utah. Utah citizens are able to report firefly sightings to NHMU with the Western Firefly Community Science Project. The Entomology Department vets those reports, and establishes contact with data reporters to request their help in physically locating the fireflies in their area for collection. If a data reporter is willing to help, firefly collector volunteers receive an email notifying them of a potential collection site; the first volunteer team to respond will then head to the site to record data and collect fireflies, which will then be brought back to NHMU. Firefly collectors may not go to a potential collection site alone.

Training Required: 

• Each volunteer will be required to attend an information session as well as a brief one-on-one training session on how to catch and correctly label fireflies using the firefly catching kits provided by NHMU. 

• Defensive Driver Training is required of any volunteer who will drive to collection sites.

Shift times: Fireflies are active in June and July; Christy will arrange as many collection sites as possible, based on citizen reports. Potential collection sites will be sent out by email; the first volunteer team to respond will be able to go to the collection site.

Time Commitment: As many collection trips as you are able to complete, during the summer months (particularly June and July).

Age Requirement: 18