People are finding many ways to celebrate this warm (maybe a little too warm?) summer. The one that has caught my attention the most is fireworks. As the night skies filled with flashing bright colors and a resounding loud noise, I’ve found myself considering the effects of fireworks on our urban environment from an ecological perspective.

Fireworks affect all of us in Milwaukee in more ways than you might imagine.

Perhaps you remember dancing through the cool grass on a summer night, eyes carefully fixed on small, fleeting glimpses of light as they traveled silently through the air. You’d reach out and quickly grab into the darkness, and, if you were lucky, the spaces between your fingers would illuminate a bright green – leaving your face glowing with wonder. Many people have a joy of catching fireflies and watching them dazzle the night air. It can truly be a breathtaking experience.