PRIOR LAKE, Minn. — Another reason Minnesotans cherish their summers: fireflies.
The dazzling beetles are only visible roughly three to four weeks out of the year from end of June to July, but researchers warn they are disappearing.
Ben Pfeiffer, the founder of "Firefly Conservation and Research," told KARE that 14% of North American firefly species are threatened or classified as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable.
And that number could be much higher.
There are people actively trying to track firefly data, and Katy Kelch from Prior Lake is one of them.
"Magical, peaceful, inspirational, and childlike," Kelch said when describing the insects.
Her and her family fell in love with fireflies at their first home where they frequented a field in the summer.
"When we decided to move, a firefly friendly area was on the list of things we were looking for in a new house," Kelch said.
Kelch participates in Firefly Atlas, a community-based science project tracking data around the beloved bioluminescent insects. She began counting them in 2019. Since then, the awareness around fireflies disappearing has grown but the data hasn't changed much.
Pfeiffer says they don't know enough because there are not enough scientists out there studying it. But they "do" know the reasons "why" it's happening.
Research shows habitat loss is one of the leading causes of fireflies disappearing. When new constructions take over a forest or marsh, it drives fireflies away. Experts also say pesticides are damaging too.
"It makes for such an incredible moment witnessing fireflies with your children. It's a good memory, " Kelch said.
One she hopes she and others can experience for years to come.