In the village of Taro, north of Ubud, Wayan Wardika is trying to restore something that once seemed ordinary in Bali: nights filled with thousands of fireflies. Through his project Bring Back the Light, he connects conservation, agriculture, tourism and Balinese culture around one simple idea – if fireflies can return, perhaps the landscape can heal with them.
What do you remember most about fireflies from your childhood?
What I remember most is collecting fireflies every evening while walking from our family farm back to the house. At that time, we did not have electricity, and the fireflies became part of the light around us. I remember seeing clouds of them and walking through swarms of fireflies in the rice fields.
Back then, I never thought of them as something rare. They were simply part of daily life. Their presence felt normal, almost permanent. Only much later did I begin to realise how much that landscape had changed and how unusual those memories had become.
What made you decide to start Bring Back the Light?
At first, I was simply curious about what had happened to the fireflies. I started studying them more deeply and trying to understand why their numbers were declining. The more I learned, the more painful the reality became.
I began to understand that we might be among the last generations able to see fireflies in the same way I saw them as a child. The idea that my children’s children could grow up without ever experiencing those glowing rice fields made me genuinely sad and afraid. That feeling became one of the main reasons I started the project.
For me, Bring Back the Light is therefore not only about protecting an insect. It is about protecting a memory, an ecosystem and something that should still exist for future generations.
Why are fireflies so important for the environment?
Fireflies can tell us a lot about the environmental quality of the place where we live. Their presence depends on clean water, healthy soil, vegetation and a relatively undisturbed environment. Many scientific studies also describe fireflies as useful indicators of ecosystem health.
They are part of a much larger ecological system. Fireflies can contribute to pollination, while their larvae are predators that feed on snails and other small pests. In that sense, they also have a role in natural pest control and in maintaining the balance of agricultural landscapes.
So when we see healthy populations of fireflies, it can indicate that many other elements of the environment are also functioning properly. And when they disappear, it may be telling us that something in that system has already been damaged.
What are the biggest threats to fireflies in Bali today?
It is very systemic, so it is difficult to choose only one.
Habitat loss is certainly one of the biggest threats. When natural and agricultural land is developed, we also introduce more roads, buildings and artificial lighting. Light pollution is especially difficult because fireflies depend on their own light signals to communicate and reproduce.
At the same time, pesticide use has become deeply rooted in modern agricultural practices. That is also very difficult to reverse. I spent around six years trying to convince farmers to shift toward organic methods, but I realised that simply telling people to change was not enough.
Now I focus much more on leading by example. We are trying to create an organic circular ecosystem where we can provide organic materials, directly mentor farmers and then connect their produce with markets that value what they are doing. If we want farmers to change their practices, we also have to help create economic value around that change.
Why is Taro an important place for this project?
Taro Village is still in relatively favourable condition for preserving natural habitats and biodiversity. But the challenge is ahead of us. Development can arrive very quickly, sometimes within just a few years or even months.
We have already seen what has happened in many other parts of Bali, and I believe Taro still has the opportunity to choose a different model. For me, creating a form of conservation-based tourism led by the local community is a critical step.
I believe Taro can become an example of sustainable and regenerative tourism operated by the community itself. Tourism does not always have to damage the environment. Our model shows that tourism can also become a force for good.
The idea behind Bring Back the Light is to attract conscious travellers who are not simply visitors, but contributors. Every visitor helps us move closer to our conservation goals and to a more sustainable community ecosystem. I would not be where I am today if I had continued with a completely self-funded private model.
Do fireflies also have a cultural or spiritual meaning in Bali?
Yes. Fireflies have a significant connection with spirituality in Balinese culture. They can represent light, knowledge and enlightenment.
There are also traditional beliefs connecting fireflies with death and the presence of ancestors. One belief says that when a person dies, what remains can transform into fireflies. For me, this story is also connected to the idea of karma. Human life eventually ends, so the important question becomes: what kind of footprint do we leave behind?
Fireflies can also be associated with ancestral spirits and with the idea of light guiding the soul toward heaven. I also connect this symbolism with the damar kurung used during Balinese cremation ceremonies.
This is why Bring Back the Light has meaning on several levels. It is about ecological restoration, but it is also about memory, culture and our relationship with previous and future generations.
You have already released more than 22,000 fireflies. What would real success look like for you?
We have released more than 22,000 fireflies, but the real goal is not simply to keep releasing more.
The goal is to create a critical mass where the firefly population can thrive again by itself. I want to see the environment reach the point where fireflies can live naturally alongside people.
For me, success would be seeing clouds of fireflies again, not only in Taro, but across Bali.
If that happens, it means we have created the environmental conditions they need. It would mean the air, water and soil are healthy enough, that the ecosystem is functioning and that people and fireflies can coexist.
That is really the vision behind Bring Back the Light.
To bring back the fireflies is also to bring back the quality of the environment that allows them to exist.
More information: Bring Back The Light
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