North County Land Trust is excited to announce ongoing collaboration with Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation at Dwelly Farm Conservation Area in Templeton to establish a firefly sanctuary! Firefly sanctuaries are a relatively new concept to support protection of vitally important firefly habitat. In June 2025, Richard Joyce, conservation biologist at Xerces Society, visited Dwelly for five nights of firefly data collection and observation with NCLT staff and volunteers. Joyce also made additional visits during the year to collect data for other phases of the firefly lifecycle at the property. Through these visits, Joyce hoped to gain a better understanding of the firefly population on the area and use that information to build a firefly habitat management plan tailored for the property. This plan would be used to support and steward the population of glowing firefly friends already there. The plan could also be used as a template for other land trusts in New England and beyond that are interested in firefly research, conservation, and tourism.
It is known that the major threats to fireflies include habitat loss and degradation, light pollution, pesticides, invasive species, and climate change-related threats such as drought, storms, flooding, increased temperatures, and sea level rise. However, there are significant gaps in understanding the relative impacts of these threats. Studying firefly populations at Dwelly Farm Conservation Area can help by adding monitoring data to the story of firefly populations and related threats and conditions as well as how management activities may impact their numbers.
After a season of monitoring fireflies throughout their lifecycles at Dwelly, Joyce has written a management plan to support firefly habitat at the property. This year, management recommendations as well as educational signage will be put in place to recognize the property as a firefly sanctuary as part of our ever-long goal to make Dwelly Farm Conservation Area a native haven for as many flora and fauna as possible. Many of the management recommendations dovetail nicely with activities already in progress to remove invasive plants, install native ones, maintain meadows, and educate visitors on the work being done.
Keep a lookout for chances to get involved at Dwelly over the coming season – there will be opportunities to help collect firefly data, remove invasive plants, and plant native plants to support firefly and other native creature habitat across the property.