Join the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust for a free Zoom lecture at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 9, to learn about the flashing insects people love to observe in the summer evenings — fireflies. KELT is hosting experts Doug Lowry and Don Salvatore from Mass Audubon’s Firefly Watch program. Attendees will have a chance to learn about firefly characteristics, life cycles, species in Maine, population changes over time and plenty of unusual facts about these fascinating insects.

The presenters will also share information about Firefly Watch, a fun, community-science project that allows people to identify and document the firefly species flashing in their own backyard. Anyone in North America can participate in Firefly Watch, and the presenters will explain how 10 minutes observing fireflies in your own backyard can gather important information about the environmental factors that impact their abundance. Participants are welcomed and encouraged to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the lecture.

Registration is free and required in order to receive the Zoom link for the presentation. For more information and to sign-up, visit KELT’s website at kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events or call 442-8400.

Lowry is a professional educator and naturalist with Mass Audubon. Salvatore is a retired science educator with the Museum of Science in Boston and is one of the founders of Firefly Watch who created the project in 2008.