Life that Glows

presented by Jennifer Bulava

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Discover an intriguing hidden world of glowing organisms found right here in New Jersey!  Some objects, when subjected to short wave ultraviolet radiation, will emit another type of light, with lower energy and longer wavelength. This phenomenon is referred to as ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence (UVIVF).  To find out what fluoresces in our area, Jennifer started a new series last year in Burlington County Parks called "Life that glows" where participants walk in the dark with special UV flashlights to find glowing life. Fungi, lichens, plants, spiders, birds, and many insects and other invertebrates all give off UV fluorescence.  This presentation will display the photographic observations from those outings and summarize preliminary findings of Bulava's research in this exciting new field to science, UVIVF.

Jennifer Bulava is the Lead Park Naturalist for the Burlington County Park System.  Jennifer is responsible for planning and conducting nature programs and all other aspects of environmental education for the public within the County Parks System.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management with a specialization in Conservation and Ecology from Cook College, Rutgers University.   Jennifer is never without her camera and uses her digital nature photography to educate people on a wide range of topics, including this new session on UV-induced visible fluorescence.

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