Got Fireflies? Thoughts on Partnering with Nature to Strengthen the Web of Life
What can fireflies teach us about the future of community life, ecological stewardship, and the health of the landscapes we inhabit?
Open space advocate and SoBro Conservancy founder Tom Denny will explore that question Tuesday, May 26 at the Saratoga Springs Holiday Inn in a public presentation hosted by the Saratoga Torch Club.
Denny’s talk, “Got Fireflies? Thoughts on Partnering with Nature to Strengthen the Web of Life,” will describe how communities can work more thoughtfully with nature to create healthier, more connected communities.
The evening will begin at 5 p.m. with a guided tour of the SoBro Triangle, the innovative ecological restoration and pollinator habitat that SoBro Conservancy established at 209 South Broadway in 2022. That will be followed by a cash bar at 5:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn and dinner at 6 p.m. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
One of Saratoga Springs’ leading voices for ecological restoration and civic stewardship, Denny has also helped lead efforts ranging from Sustainable Saratoga’s Tree Toga plantings to broader conversations on the Open Space Advisory Committee about Saratoga’s natural resources and open-space preservation in our Greenbelt.
At the center of his recent work is the once-vacant 0.2-acre gas station parcel at 209 South Broadway that SoBro Conservancy has been transforming into a vibrant ecological garden since it took ownership of the parcel in 2022.
SoBro Conservancy’s team of conservation advocates and volunteers has created one of Saratoga’s most visible experiments in community-led regreening. What had long been a barren scar along one of Saratoga’s busiest corridors is now alive with pollinators, birds, native trees and perennials, and public activity.
The project has become a model of civic partnership. Volunteers prepped and planted the garden beds and installed irrigation systems. BOCES students built a tool shed funded by Rotary. City agencies, nonprofits, local businesses, and residents have all contributed expertise, funding, labor, and imagination to the effort.
The result is a living demonstration of what Denny describes as working “with nature to strengthen the web of life."
Using the presence — or absence — of fireflies as a symbol of environmental health and ecological balance, Denny will reflect in his remarks on the ways native landscapes, pollinator habitats, urban forestry, trails, and thoughtfully designed public spaces contribute not only to environmental sustainability, but also to human well-being and community identity.
Dinner reservations -- at $40 per person -- may be made by emailing Richard Lynch at [email protected] by Friday, May 22, 2026 with your dinner selection. Menu options include Tortellini & Broccoli Alfredo or New England Crusted Cod.
To attend Denny’s presentation only, the suggested donation is $10.
Event Links
Inquiries: https://go.evvnt.com/3639469-0
