Fireflies that once lit Bali's rice fields in clouds have virtually vanished from many villages, victims of land development, light pollution, habitat degradation and heavy pesticide use. At least four firefly species in Southeast Asia are nearing extinction. That matters beyond nostalgia: fireflies indicate environmental health, pollinate some plants and prey on crop-eating snails. Bring Back the Light, founded in 2020 on a family farm in Taro, runs Indonesia's only firefly conservation programme, raising larvae for up to two years in terrariums that mimic jungle and wetland and releasing about 90% of adults. It has released nearly 20,000 larvae and adults and local counts are slowly recovering, but breeding alone can't work without healthy habitat, so organic farming is central.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.