Daddy Academy

Chapter 3325 Visiting the Firefly Research Institute

Chapter 3325 Visiting the Firefly Research Institute

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, a white minibus slowly pulled up in front of Little Red Pony Academy.

The car door opened, and Researcher Chen stepped out with a smile, followed by her assistant, a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses named Xiao Liu.

"Aunt Chen!"

Xiaobai and her group of girlfriends were already waiting in the yard, waving excitedly.

Researcher Chen smiled and said, "Are you ready? Today I'll show you another side of fireflies."

"Ready!" the group of girlfriends answered in unison.

Today was the day we were supposed to visit the Firefly Research Institute. There were many people there, including my best friends, as well as unofficial members Xiao Weiwei, Xiao Songqin, Xiao Meng, Xiao Zhou, Shi Baobao, and finally, my aunt's little tail—Robin.

Everyone was very excited. After Xiaobai gave a talk at the academy last night, everyone eagerly signed up, and anyone who had time came.

"Listen to my instructions! Get on the bus!" Xiaobai waved his hand forcefully, signaling everyone to get on the bus.

Robin hopped and skipped around like a puppy going on a spring outing.

Liu Liu carried a deflated backpack containing only a few snacks and drinks—not many, a mere act of leniency from Zhu's mother. Zhu Xiaojing knew that if she didn't provide Liu Liu with snacks and drinks, Liu Liu would inevitably seek out other children's food. So, she simply prepared some for her, repeatedly reminding her not to eat other children's food, as it would be shameful. Liu Liu vowed that once she finished what was in her backpack, she would never eat again; if she did, her mouth would be sewn shut.

Dudu carried her little water bottle, with a red ribbon tied around her forehead that read: "Love science, love fireflies!"

Old Li stood at the school gate to see them off, accompanied by Zhang Tan, Qin Jianguo, Wang Shuyi, and Tan Jin'er, who had come under Xi'er's supervision.

The group boarded the bus, and the children crowded into the window seats, excitedly discussing the scene they were about to see.

"Will there be a lot of glass jars in the lab?" Xiaobai asked curiously. In her mind, a laboratory was a large collection of glass jars, and everyone was wearing a white lab coat.

Little Vivi's eyes lit up: "There should be microscopes! I want to see what firefly wings look like when magnified."

"Will there be fireflies flying all over the house?" Xi'er pressed her face against the car window, imagining the countless points of light dancing in the air.

Researcher Chen turned around and explained with a smile, "We do raise fireflies in the lab, but not in large numbers; they're mainly for research. Today I'll show you our research equipment and the firefly rearing environment."

The bus traveled through the city towards the ecological research institute on the outskirts of the city. The buildings along the road gradually thinned out, replaced by large areas of green space and forest.

About half an hour later, the car drove into a courtyard shaded by green trees. The courtyard was not large, with several white buildings hidden among the trees, and a sign hanging in front of the door: Pujiang Urban Ecological Research Center.

"We've arrived," said Researcher Chen.

Everyone filed out of the car, curiously looking around. The courtyard was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of birds. Several benches were placed under a few tall sycamore trees, and unidentified wildflowers bloomed on the grass.

“This place is so beautiful,” Xi’er said softly.

Researcher Chen led everyone into the main building. The lobby was spacious and bright, with photos and charts of various ecosystems hanging on the walls. On the right wall, a display board particularly caught the eye, covered with photos of different species of fireflies, accompanied by detailed explanatory text.

"Wow, there are so many kinds of fireflies!" Dudu exclaimed.

Little Weiwei has already taken out her little notebook and started writing: "Huang%^^%% Ying, Xiaomi~ How is this character pronounced?"

She pointed to the unfamiliar word and asked.

Xiaomi glanced at them and said, "Yuan~ Yellow-edged Firefly, and next to it are Black-winged Firefly, Mountain Window Firefly... The names are all so nice."

Researcher Chen explained, "There are more than 100 known species of fireflies in our country, but in recent years, the numbers of many species have been declining. Urban expansion, light pollution, pesticide use, and unreasonable capture are all reasons for the endangerment of fireflies."

"Unreasonable capture?" Xiaobai frowned.

Assistant Xiao Liu chimed in, "Yes, some people are catching fireflies in large numbers for commercial purposes, such as weddings and celebrations. Fireflies only live for about two weeks as adults, and they die quickly after being caught, which is a huge blow to their population."

Chengcheng asked softly, "Are the fireflies that are used as decorations sad?"

Researcher Chen said, "Fireflies don't have emotions like we do, but they have their own life cycle and mission. Each female can only lay dozens to hundreds of eggs in her lifetime. If a large number of adult fireflies are killed before they can reproduce, the population of the next generation will be drastically reduced."

The children's expressions turned serious.

Liuliu, unusually serious, said, "We must urge people not to catch fireflies! It's not beautiful!"

"Beauty may hide harm," Xiaomi said thoughtfully.

Researcher Chen nodded: "So we are not only studying fireflies themselves, but more importantly, how to protect their habitat and how to find a balance between urban development and ecological protection."

She led everyone through the corridor to a door with a sign that read: Insect Ecology Laboratory.

Pushing open the door, a blast of cool air hits you. The laboratory is neat and orderly, with a row of workbenches against the wall, on which are placed microscopes, petri dishes and various instruments.

The most eye-catching items are the several glass enclosures by the window, each simulating a different ecological environment. Some have aquatic plants and small puddles, while others are covered with moist moss and fallen leaves.

Robin pressed his eyes against the terrarium and proudly declared, "I recognize these three characters! It's called the Yellow-margined Firefly! Hiahiahia~~~"

The little kid is incredibly proud!

Xiaobai patted her little head as encouragement!

In a breeding box, several fireflies are resting on the leaves of an aquatic plant.

Their bodies are slender, and their tails emit a soft yellow-green light, which appears somewhat dim under the white light in the laboratory, but if you look closely, you can see the faint flickering of the light spots.

Xiao Liu opened a special lightbox: "We prepared this so that you can see it more clearly."

The inside of the lightbox is a dark red light.

Researcher Chen explained, "Fireflies are not sensitive to red light, so we won't disturb them when we observe them."

She carefully opened the top of the enclosure, gently shooed two fireflies into the observation box with a soft brush, and then placed them in the light box.

The children gathered around the lightbox, holding their breath.

Under the dim red light, the light from the firefly's tail appeared exceptionally clear. It was a soft, warm glow, not as glaring as a light bulb, but rather flickering rhythmically like breathing.

Xiao Songqin followed Xiao Zhou and quietly described the scene before her to him.

"Are they talking?" Chengcheng suddenly asked.

Researcher Chen looked at her in surprise: "How did you know?"

Chengcheng's eyes lit up, and she said, "Aunt Chen, didn't you say before that fireflies flash when they fly? That's because they're looking for their companions, and their companions will flash in response when they see them."

Researcher Chen couldn't help but exclaim, "Chengcheng, you're so observant! Indeed, different species of fireflies have different flashing patterns, just like different dialects. By studying these patterns, we can distinguish the species and understand their behavioral habits."

Next, she led the children through a complete observation and recording process and assigned tasks to each of them.

Some were responsible for taking photos, some for recording, some for observing, and some for measuring...

Everyone had their own task, and the laboratory was filled with a serious and focused atmosphere. Even Liu Liu, who was usually the most active, was now lying in front of the microscope, observing without moving.

"I see it! The fireflies have fine lines on their wings, like leaves!" Liuliu exclaimed excitedly.

"show me!"

Robin squeezed through.

"Hey duck, don't push me!"

Assistant Liu took out a picture book, opened a page, and said to everyone, "Compare them and see which species of firefly you observed."

The children gathered together, carefully comparing the photos on the atlas with the images under the microscope.

After some discussion, they determined that the fireflies in the breeding box were "yellow-margined fireflies," a species that can still be occasionally seen in wetlands on the outskirts of cities.

Researcher Chen sighed, "The numbers are already very small. Ten years ago, you could see swarms of yellow-edged fireflies in several wetlands around Pujiang, but now they are only scattered here and there."

"Why are they decreasing?" Xi'er asked.

Researcher Chen led everyone to a map on the other side of the laboratory. On the wall hung an ecological map of Pujiang City, with various information marked with different colors.

Pointing to several red areas on the map, she said, "Look here, these are firefly habitats that have disappeared in the last ten years. There are many reasons for this: some wetlands have been filled in due to the construction of new residential areas; some have been cut off by the construction of roads that have disrupted the communication channels between populations; and some have been polluted by the heavy use of pesticides in farmland..."

The red markings on the map were alarming, and the children listened quietly, their little faces filled with worry.

Xiao Bai stared at the map for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Aunt Chen, can our firefly farm... become a new home for the fireflies?"

This question stumped Researcher Chen. After a moment's thought, she answered seriously, "Little Red Horse Academy could serve as a new home for a few fireflies, but it's not suitable as a base because it's located in the center of Pujiang City. The fireflies' living environment would be limited, such as food sources, overwintering sites, light pollution, noise pollution, and so on..."

This answer greatly disappointed everyone, and many children lowered their heads, looking dejected.

Dudu clenched her fist and cheered, "It's okay, there are still many things we can do for fireflies. For example, we can tell more people not to catch fireflies and to protect their home."

Liuliu immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, Dudu is right! I'm Da Yanyan, my words carry weight, and many people like to hear them. I want to be the spokesperson for fireflies!!"

Robin chimed in, saying, "I have a lot of influence at the kindergarten, and I can tell the kids not to catch fireflies anymore."

Xiao Weiwei said, "We can write a news article to get more people involved!"

Researcher Chen said with satisfaction, "It's really rare that you have this idea."

At the end of the visit, Researcher Chen led everyone to the institute's small greenhouse, which simulates various wetland environments and grows aquatic plants that firefly larvae like, such as waterweed, goldfish algae, and foxtail algae.

She pointed to a few inconspicuous brown larvae in the tank and said, "The larval stage of fireflies lasts for one to two years. They spend most of their time in the water, preying on snails and small aquatic insects. They may look inconspicuous, but they represent the longest stage of a firefly's life cycle."

"Are they glowing too?" Xiaobai asked.

"Some species do it, some don't. The larvae of the yellow-margined firefly emit a faint light, mainly to warn predators and tell them, 'I am poisonous and not tasty.'"

The children peered closer and indeed saw several larvae at the bottom of the tank with extremely faint points of light on their tails, which were almost imperceptible unless one looked closely.

Xi'er said earnestly, "So this is what fireflies look like when they are young. Every stage of their life is important."

At the end of the visit, Researcher Chen gave each child a small gift: a transparent observation box containing a firefly egg.

The eggs are pale yellow, oval-shaped, and almost transparent in the light.

"These are the eggs of the yellow-margined firefly that we have cultivated in the laboratory. They will hatch in about a week. You can take them home to observe, but remember, after the larvae hatch, you must put them back into a suitable aquatic environment. You cannot keep them in the box indefinitely."

"We will!"

Everyone carefully held the observation box.

On the bus back, people weren't as noisy as they had been on the way there.

Suddenly, Liuliu said, "I used to think fireflies were just little insects that glowed and were quite pretty. Now I know that they are complete lives, with a larval stage, an adult stage, and they need to eat, fall in love, and have babies... They are complete families."

Dudu nodded: "Just like us, every life deserves respect."

She thought of the baby in her mother's belly and could better appreciate the weight of life.

Xiao Bai said, "From today onwards, we are not only observers, but also protectors."