Experience the magic of fireflies at the Arboretum!
Experience the magic of summer nights at the Arboretum with hundreds of fireflies flashing through the sky! Bring your family and friends along to marvel at the wonder of these glowing winged beetles (also known as lightning bugs). Begin your firefly viewing experience by gathering to learn about these special creatures from local experts before heading out to see them live on the trails.
Route Accessibility
You’ll be able to pick from a few options for firefly-viewing hikes throughout the Arboretum grounds. Firefly Viewing Night routes are mostly accessible. The majority of the routes are wheelchair accessible. We’ll note which route offers the best viewing each night. Locations include the Wildflower Garden, Three-Mile Walk, Farm at the Arb and Bog Walk.
We’ll kick off every evening with an outdoor program in the Ordway Picnic Shelter & Sensory Garden area, featuring nocturnal experts and storytellers from 8:30-9:15 p.m., followed by a Q&A. See the schedule below for presenter details.
Presenter Schedule
June 26
Diane Hirigoyen with the Xerces Society
- Fun and surprising facts about fireflies, including how and why they glow
- The different species and where they live
- Simple ways you can help protect their natural habitats
June 27
Jill Utrup, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Enjoy an educational program about native bats followed by a conversational, observational walk. Dial up your bat knowledge as Jill touches on bats’ unique traits, charm, ecological importance, and why they need our help now more than ever. Jill's program will also feature acoustic detectors, which allow participants to see and "hear" the echolocation calls bats are making in real time.
June 28
Gary Lussier, Native Storyteller
American Indian Storytelling: Immerse yourself in captivating tales of tricksters and nocturnal characters from Ojibwe and Dakota/Lakota traditional stories of the Red Lake Nation.
July 3
The Raptor Center’s presentation-style program will feature a live, great horned owl, falcon and hawk. The presenter will handle and present the birds to the audience, during which you'll learn what makes these birds unique while getting a close-up view.
July 5
Diane Hirigoyen with the Xerces Society
- Fun and surprising facts about fireflies, including how and why they glow
- The different species and where they live
- Simple ways you can help protect their natural habitats
July 6
Black Storytellers Alliance (BSA) is a nonprofit organization based in North Minneapolis that is dedicated to walking alongside their community in finding, connecting and expanding the knowledge, practice and power of the African Oral Tradition once practiced widely across the African Diaspora many years ago. Performers from BSA will tell African folktales, fables and myths related to nocturnal creatures.
July 10
Miranda Jones, Eastman Nature Center
Miranda graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in Environmental and Outdoor Education. She loves hands-on learning and exploring with students. Check out an educational station with firefly artifacts and microscopes, as well as a presentation about fireflies including how and why they glow and firefly conservation tips.
July 11 & 12
Meghan Cassidy, Spiders in the Garden
Meghan is a data analyst by day, and a naturalist and photographer by night! As a strong advocate for everything in class arachnida, Meghan has been conducting nature education with a focus on spiders for almost 5 years. She can often be found in Minnesota parks taking macro photography of tiny critters, and many of her photos have been contributed to scientific publications and books. Meghan will show and discuss common spider species found in Minnesota and offer tips for identifying spiders. After the presentation, there will be a short Q&A and a walk to look for spiders!
Join photographer Jason Boudreau-Landis for an evening of photographing some of nature’s most incredible insects, the fireflies! Jason will begin the class with a brief introduction and discussion indoors followed by a guided walk through the Arboretum gardens as he demonstrates how to capture images that are sure to stun friends and family.