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First Annual Elkhart Community Firefly Walk and Picnic
On Saturday, June 14th (rain date June 21st) at 5:30p.m. the community is invited to the Nancy Jane Moore Community Park, located at 109 Stellar St. in Elkhart, Illinois, for a BYO picnic dinner, with time for the children to run and play. If you choose not to take part in the picnic dinner, you can still take part in the walk portion of the evening. Be sure to be at the park no later than 7:20 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., we will caravan to the north end of Elkhart Hill, to the landscaped grounds of Bob and Lynne Neal where the Firefly talk & walk will begin. Our guide for the evening, Allen Yow, presented “The World of our amazing Fireflies,” at our Elkhart Historical Society monthly dinner lecture last summer, at which time the idea of a walk on the hill was launched.
Allen Yow gives many firefly tours in Springfield and Jacksonville every year and was willing to help Elkhart get involved in this fascinating summer treat. Whether called fireflies, lightning bugs, glow worms or moon bugs, Yow said they’re all synonymous, but their unique illumination differences separate the individual groups and allow us to identify them. This ability is the result of a complicated chemical reaction that allows them to find a mate in the right group. Habitats are critical to every living thing, including these amazing ‘beacons’ of the summer evenings. Come learn more and help them to continue adding their sparkle to our lives for generations to come.
The Elkhart Historical Society is helping to coordinate the evening as a free family-friendly event. The Talk of the Town Restaurant has agreed to help you with the food portion of the picnic with the special menu below. Be sure to read the instructions carefully for an optional easy solution to a picnic dinner. Add insect repellent and a blanket to sit on at the walk site, and enjoy the beauty of Elkhart Hill, on what we hope to have as an annual event.
