2025 Impact Highlight
Pueblo County, Southern Region
Citizen science hike connects natural resource education with data collection on new firefly species
The Colorado firefly is a new species to our state and has been slowly moving into the southern portion of the state. This year, two CSU entomologists and a Pueblo County agriculture and natural resource specialist led a southern Colorado firefly hike that identified new firefly habitat areas, leveraged citizen science to collect data for the Denver Butterfly Pavilion, and highlighted ecological impacts in southern Colorado.
The hike was comprised of land owners, urban residents of Pueblo and Colorado Springs, and community members. The tour featured interactive opportunities to learn about insects and plant life in southern Colorado through a plant bingo game and intentional stops along the hike.
This event was so well received that new habitat sightings have been reported down the Fountain Creek into Pueblo and off the St. Charles Mesa. More research is planned for 2026 along with citizen science tours aimed at continuing the study of this new species. Participants at the event stated they learned new facts about Colorado fireflies and increased their understanding of the challenges and importance of Southern Colorado wetlands.
This tour highlighted the value of wetland space in urban and rural areas and the importance of advocacy and education about natural resources and why natural areas should be protected. Additionally, the event’s success highlights the value of community science data in identifying new firefly habitats in the region.