When the Louisiana sunset fades into that signature purple-blue dusk, a short window of time cracks open, and the lightning bugs fly through it. Anyone who has loved a patch of woods can vouch for the extra layer of magic lent by the firefly, who by light in its abdomen, puts on a show to attract its mates—and by accident, us.
To see them light up as the sun goes down on a long summer’s day feels like being let in on a secret. Or, at least, it did.
At some point over the last twenty years, we looked up from our busy lives and realized the fireflies had disappeared from the places we remember. At this rate, today’s children are likely to grow into adults who think fireflies are the stuff of fairy tales, mere forest sprites…