Dear future memories

man... waking up at 5 am today was worth it

"Six Seconds of Dark"

The proper habitat for synchronous fireflies can be found in pockets across the eastern United States, but they are sensitive to light — even a full moon can disrupt their ability to flash in unison. Large swaths of untouched, dark forest in national parks provide prime habitat. Every year, between 30,000 and 40,000 people enter a lottery for just shy of 1,000 passes to see the lightning bugs over eight nights at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A record-breaking 17,593 people entered a similar lottery in 2023 in hopes of being among the 1,300 chosen to see the Photuris frontalis species at Congaree National Park in South Carolina.