FIREFLY MATING GROUNDS

RURAL RESILIENCY

Ecological Light Show For Appalachia

TECH SEQUENCE CLASS: OPERATIVE LANDSCAPES II ADVISOR: MICHAEL ROSS

Individual Project Fall 2020

This design proposes a firefly mating ground for University of Tennessee’s Campus. Fireflies typically use short to medium height grasses as launching pads from which they begin their hunt for a mate. The existing bioswales on campus will be significantly redesigned and expanded in order to create this mating ground. While some aspects of the proposal will be effective in creating habiat for fireflies, that is an added benefit.

The main purpose is to create a mating ground that mixes isolated insect populations. This is important because other areas unbridled by the issues that plague college campuses are more effective for stable larval sites. Fireflies arrive at college, find themselves a mate, then settle down in the suburbs to raise their young. It is also important to mention that while this design targets fireflies, it is in actuality a proposal with wide spread faunal associations, assisting countless species in ovecoming the separation between west/south and east/north meta populations.

For humans., this will create an annual spectacular which can be experienced as a more ocalized pilgrimage, similar to the one that is world famous in the Smoky Mountains. As fireflies typically mate only in June, for 2 weeks every summer campus will go dark and encourage locals to come experience the spectacular. Campus will be closed to cars after 7 pm, until which, people will be permitted to park in the campus lots as they would for any sporting event. Street lights will go dark and campus security will be increased to quell any safety fears. This cost will be offset by parking charges. Students, families and ecologists can gather anywhere on campus to view the twinkling lights of fireflies as they arrive on campus to do what any good college student does: find a mate...I mean study.

This design is poetic, humorous, and most importantly, effective. There is no other event like this in the United States, and will attract students from all over the country.