Kelly Ridenhour

Atlanta Firefly Project

Community scientists researching urban fireflies & their habitats.
Logo design by Sarah Lawrence

Atlantafireflyproject.org

More than 2,300 species light up our lives and bring smiles to our faces around the globe.

Yet, there are many anecdotal reports of firefly decline. I created the Atlanta Firefly Project, a community science research initiative, to employ the power of the community to make observations about fireflies, right from their home. Community members across metro Atlanta (and beyond) learned about fireflies, submitted firefly counts, and answered land management questionnaires.

This initiative was started to collect data for my MS Research in Integrative Conservation and Sustainable Development at the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia and can be found here: www.atlantafireflyproject.org/

My roles involved:

Program visioning
Research and writing
Program development
Program implementation
Program road mapping and planning
Grant writing and reporting
Program management
Program logistics & coordination
Budgeting
Project campaigning and marketing
Volunteer organization and training
ArcGIS database management
Statistical analysis using generalized additive models, in RStudio
Public in-personal, digital, and internationally presentations
Media communication (National radio and local papers)
Thesis publication
Contractor management (graphic designers)

*All work was completed while a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Georgia, 2021-2022

Listen to me on NPR

Links to the two NPR features:

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Explore some of the data

June-July 2021 Basic Stats

1,500 people participated

>1,000 data points

~ 500 unique locations

What did the research find?

Fewer fireflies in locations that left outdoor lights on all night long
Fewer fireflies in locations that sprayed for mosquitoes
Fewer fireflies in locations without leaf litter (either no trees or leaf litter removal)
Fewer fireflies in locations with a greater area of impervious surfaces
Fewer fireflies in locations that broadly applied fertilizers to lawns and extensive landscaping
Fewer fireflies in locations that irrigated lawn/landscaping with chlorinated drinking water

Learn about my methods with this summary talk of results

Free Printable Firefly Poster

Poster content, Kelly Ridenhour. Illustration by Stephanie Damplo Luke

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Social Media

Instagram @atlantafireflyproject

Have you heard of the South River Forest? Parks in this area have been a part of your Atlanta Firefly Project park monitoring and they have lots of fireflies! Recently, community members from the South River Forest Coalition contacted us for help. Th

What an amazing summer! A big thank you to everyone that took the time to participate and monitor fireflies, this project couldn’t be what it is without all of you! If you’d love to participate again next year, watch out for our newslette

Build your own firefly!
If you could design your own firefly, what would it look like? What would its flash pattern be and what color is it? Use this template to create your own and tag us in your story/post so we can see it! You can also tell us in

Introducing our partnership with Trees Atlanta! Trees Atlanta is an organization that aims to support healthy forest and firefly conservation practices through the new City Forest Certification program’s firefly stewardship track. Trees Atlanta

These fireflies are an incredible sight to see! Synchronous Fireflies are so called for the their ability to synchronize their flashes to create a starry effect in the air to attract mates. Despite each individual firefly flashing independently and o

Here is a peek at our firefly flashcards which will be available at the workshop tomorrow! If you want to download the full set check out the linktree in our bio and select the flashcard link. You can also create your own to trade with your friends.

Here are some photos of fireflies we’ve monitored over the summer. Have you been able to catch and take pictures of your own? Remember that you can upload them to the Data Submission Form on our website or you can email us at info@atlantafirefl

The Twilight Bush Baby firefly comes out in late June to July. Blink and you might miss its flash of yellow and orange, but when many come together it truly looks like the stars twinkling and darting around on earth! Found in the Southeastern and Cen

We had an amazing turnout at our last workshop in June! We got to learn about firefly biology and their lifecycle and then monitor some of our own. Did you know that fireflies have four stages of life, the egg stage, the larva stage, and then the pup

Have you heard of the South River Forest? Parks in this area have been a part of your Atlanta Firefly Project park monitoring and they have lots of fireflies! Recently, community members from the South River Forest Coalition contacted us for help. Th

What an amazing summer! A big thank you to everyone that took the time to participate and monitor fireflies, this project couldn’t be what it is without all of you! If you’d love to participate again next year, watch out for our newslette

Build your own firefly!
If you could design your own firefly, what would it look like? What would its flash pattern be and what color is it? Use this template to create your own and tag us in your story/post so we can see it! You can also tell us in

Introducing our partnership with Trees Atlanta! Trees Atlanta is an organization that aims to support healthy forest and firefly conservation practices through the new City Forest Certification program’s firefly stewardship track. Trees Atlanta

These fireflies are an incredible sight to see! Synchronous Fireflies are so called for the their ability to synchronize their flashes to create a starry effect in the air to attract mates. Despite each individual firefly flashing independently and o

Here is a peek at our firefly flashcards which will be available at the workshop tomorrow! If you want to download the full set check out the linktree in our bio and select the flashcard link. You can also create your own to trade with your friends.

Announcing our ⭐️second⭐️event of the summer, the July Light It Up workshop! This is an event where you can learn about firefly biology, conservation, and how to continue to monitor them for the Atlanta Firefly Project! Join us for a chance to learn

Here are some photos of fireflies we’ve monitored over the summer. Have you been able to catch and take pictures of your own? Remember that you can upload them to the Data Submission Form on our website or you can email us at info@atlantafirefl

The Twilight Bush Baby firefly comes out in late June to July. Blink and you might miss its flash of yellow and orange, but when many come together it truly looks like the stars twinkling and darting around on earth! Found in the Southeastern and Cen

We had an amazing turnout at our last workshop in June! We got to learn about firefly biology and their lifecycle and then monitor some of our own. Did you know that fireflies have four stages of life, the egg stage, the larva stage, and then the pup

The Future of the Project

Following graduation in May 2022, I transferred the Atlanta Firefly Project to EcoReach, an outreach organization at the Odum School of Ecology. Atlanta Firefly Project continues today at the University of Georgia, run by Ecology graduate students, an undergraduate intern, and an AmeriCorps volunteer.

To learn more about successful community science methods check out my five-minute talk below