Fireflies, Bioluminescence and Native Plants July 6th
Yes! Fireflies live in Burlington - but their habitat is disappearing. Learn more about these amazing bugs at this nighttime learning event!
Date and time
Location
Blue Dot Acres
2179A Dundas Street Burlington, ON L7R 3X4 CanadaRefund Policy
About this event
- 2 hours
Some people are surprised to discover that you don't need to travel to cottage country to see fireflies! It's true, fireflies live right here in Burlington!
Unfortunately, their habitat is disappearing. We would love to share with you how humans can help this cool bug flourish and how we might be hurting its survival.
These tickets are sold per vehicle and includes 4 activities;
- Native Plants: Farmer Erin will lead you through the importance of human stewardship in this short educational talk. You'll get to take home a native plant to help support firefly habitat in your neighborhood. (Or produce if you do not have a home with a garden.)
- Face Painting: Local artist Liz will be offering neon UV face painting designs to celebrate summer and the magic of fireflies!
- Campfire and Backyard Chilling: Summer is our favorite time to chill outside on the farm! Each ticket includes a marshmallow roasting kit (1 roasting stick and 6 marshmallows), a small area for kids to play, and deck chair for lounging. Additional roasting sticks and marshmallows are available for purchase.
- Firefly Walk: Once it gets dark and the fireflies are active, we will open our 0.25 km firefly walk. The pathway is lined with signs to test your knowledge about fireflies and bioluminescence. If you stop to answer all the questions, the walk portion takes about 15 minutes. It will likely be dark enough to see firefly action after 9:15pm. The firefly trail is uneven, a bit hilly and will remain unlit for the protection of the fireflies. It is not suitable for people with mobility issues nor is it a good path for strollers. (Please see FAQ's for more details.)
W e have a staggered entry for this event. Please arrive as close to your purchased ticket time as possible to avoid confusion in our parking lot! This event ends at 10pm.
If you have questions about this, feel free to email bluedotacres@gmail.com
Sorry, this is not a dog-friendly event.
Frequently asked questions
We will reschedule the event for the following weekend.
We have chosen this weekend for our firefly event because they have been very active at this time in previous years. If the fireflies are not active yet due to weather, we will send out an email to postpone the event for the following weekend.
Our farm has many walnut trees. They are not fruiting at this time of year but the firefly path is through the walnut grove. If you are concerned about allergies, we would suggest skipping this event.
Yes! We suggest using bug spray and dressing accordingly, knowing that there are mosquitos and ticks on our farm.
If a firefly lands on you, consider that to be an honour! Please do not kill it or harm it in anyway. Fireflies do not bite, they do not spread disease, and they are not dangerous. Please do not kill them.
Sorry, no, you can't. We want to support fireflies in their natural habitat. They "light up" for a short period of time. Removing them from their environment will hurt their overall population and they have enough stressors to contend with!
Yes
We can - please let us know in advance so we can make sure we have enough for all of the vegans in attendance.
Yes, but please make sure your flash is off!
We think it is suitable for every age who can stay up late enough to see these amazing bugs!
Our official answer is no, it is not stroller friendly. However, if you have an off-roading stroller and you really want to bring a stroller, we get it. Our kids were once young too. Keep in mind, there is a footbridge to cross, the path is uneven and a bit hilly, and the path will remain unlit.
Sadly, no. We love dogs but this isn't an event that would work well for dogs.
We don't think this path is well-suited to people with mobility issues. However, if you still want to come, please send an email. bluedotacres@gmail.com We would like to find an alternative so you can enjoy the fireflies also!
Please email bluedotacres@gmail.com