Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin is a leading expert on jellyfish (she’s discovered more than 200 new species!), and fascinated by everything in nature that glows. From bioluminescent waters to glowing snails, Tasmania quite literally lights up during the Off Season and is fast emerging as a hotspot for bioluminescent phenomena. Dr Lisa-ann shares her insights into this natural wonder, her epic Glow Tour based in Hobart, and why winter is the perfect time to experience it.

Where did you grow up and where is home now? I grew up in a teeny tiny town in the mountains outside of Los Angeles, called Valley of Enchantment. It was a wonderful place to grow up. I now live in Battery Point, which I also love very much!

How do you describe what you do? I’m privileged in sharing the world that glows in the dark with people. I run glow tours where I take small groups of people exploring for things that glow. It’s unforgettable to see ordinary things glowing in extraordinary ways. Of course we’ve all heard of the aurora and bioluminescence, and these really are as magical as they sound, but most people have never heard of ‘the other glow’, biofluorescence. This is where we use low power UV lights to see the world…well…no pun intended, in a whole new light. Brown possums glow pink, slaters glow brilliant blue, ordinary garden snails glow green with little blue eyes and millipedes glow blue or yellow with little blue legs, and well camouflaged scorpions glow so brilliantly that you can see them from many metres away! And flowers and fungi are even more vivid! So what do I do? I introduce people to the sublime in nature!

What’s something kids will love about the Glow Tour? There is something particularly wondrous about being a child and seeing the magic. I begin each Glow Tour by saying that when we are children, we believe in magic, then we grow up and learn that magic isn’t real, but what we see on the Glow Tour is magic that is real. And I believe that that wide-eyed wonder captivates us all, but for children especially, it’s something they never forget. The glowing mammals and birds are truly stop-you-in-your-tracks beautiful, but more often than not, it’s the glowing snails that people really love the most, and kids often get right up to them, completely mesmerised. All here in Hobart!

What makes the Off Season a great time to see nature that glows? Four things: firstly, nighttime comes earlier and lasts longer, so there’s more hours to enjoy them in. Secondly, rain and drizzle amps up the glow, and we tend to get more drizzle and brief showers during the winter, so everything is more vivid. Thirdly, the trees have less foliage, so we can see the arboreal (tree-dwelling) animals better, like possums and owls. And fourthly, there’s more small plant-life, like grasses and ground cover, and these tend to be extremely glowy, and fungi, many of which are just off-the-scale glowy!

What do you love about Tasmania’s wild places in winter? The forests and coastlines feel more intimate in the winter, like their personality is more wildly on display. Waves crash harder on the rocks, creating stronger sprays and louder echoes. The rainforests feel more alive with the sounds of droplets of water and breezes in the branches, or with the sound of silence. I feel like these wild places are more alluring to understand in winter, more untamed; it is the time they feel most alive.

What’s your tip for becoming a winter person in Tasmania? Too many people just trudge through winter, crank up the heat and race between the house and the car. But then we miss the amazingness that wintertime offers. My best winter tip? I have two. Rug up so you don’t get too cold, and indulge your sense of wonder.

Why is winter in Tasmania a magical time for families to explore nature together? Daytime activities in wintertime are delightful of course with snow and hot chocolate! But nighttime is where Tassie really hits its full stride. The aurora, glowing animals and plants, even marine bioluminescence and ghost fungi: all these glowing things are wondrous for young and old.