Fireflies, Light Pollution and Conservation: Sriram Murali
Sriram Murali is a storyteller, IUCN Species Survival Commission firefly specialist and a Dark Earth advocate. His work centres around storytelling to emotionally connect people to the wonders of the dark, and the ill-effects of losing it. His films (Lost in Light, Saving the Dark and In Search of the Stars) emphasise the significance of the dark, the impacts of artificial lighting on wildlife and our environment, and the need for policy changes to address the issue.
Sriram is a co-founder of Wild and Dark Earth (WiDE), a nonprofit initiative to conserve nocturnal habitats in India. At WiDE, Murali and his team study firefly ecology, diversity and the factors affecting firefly populations. He is also currently working with a National Geographic Society grant to showcase the beauty of the fireflies at the Annamalai Tiger Reserve in India, and the highlight the impacts of artificial lighting on them with scientific evidence. He intends to inspire policy changes and retrofit dark firefly friendly lighting through storytelling, advocacy, and scientific research.
Sriram’s Films
Lost in Light
Saving the Dark
In Search of the Stars