A couple opportunities for y’all to get involved with firefly conservation in the Sky Islands. On May 27 at 11 a.m., Xerces Society biologist Candace Fallon and Friends of the Verde River Deputy Executive Director Rachel Laura, who gave a Coffee Break talk with us last year, will be hosting a virtual talk on fireflies in our region, including the rare Southwest spring firefly, which is under review for U.S. Endangered Species Act listing and is the subject of several research and survey efforts. More information is needed on the distribution of the species both in Arizona and Sonora, and you can help! The presentation will be bilingual for English- and Spanish-speaking participants. To join, visit: https://ow.ly/fUUJ50VVgpT Rachel has also invited folks to sign up to volunteer with a series of firefly surveys she’s leading in the Patagonia area in late June and July. Each volunteer event will run from 6:30-10 p.m. To learn more and sign up, visit: https://ow.ly/FFyg50VVg1G Photos of Southwest spring firefly and survey team by Candace Fallon/Xerces Society. #SkyIslands #Volunteer #Fireflies #EndangeredSpecies (fb)

Want to go survey springs in the Sierra Los Ajos of northern Sonora? We're looking for two to three volunteers for a June 2-4 trip to APFF Bavispe, a protected area to the east of Cananea. We'll be surveying springs with Mexico's CONANP national park staff, as well as regional university students. The trip will include two nights of camping, remote locations, hot temps, and full Spanish immersion, plus firefly surveying in the evenings if we’re lucky. If interested, email SIA's Mexico Program Manager Zach Palma at zach@skyislandalliance.org. Photos from last year’s spring surveys in the Sierra Los Ajos, including Arizona sister butterfly, spotted towhee and ladybugs. #SkyIslands #SpringSeeker #Sonora Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Bavispe - Conanp (fb)