Photos from the October firework show in Capitola, California. Researcher Greg Cotten views the bats through a thermal scope (right). Credit: Amy Howk, Integral Consulting Firework shows are controversial in this day and age. While beautiful, fireworks are loud, bright, and smoky, and they can be dangerous to the surrounding environment, releasing contaminants into the air and frightening both pets and wildlife alike. California city studies fireworks fallout Luckily, cities across the U.S. are taking initiative to explore the impact of fireworks on residents and wildlife. In October 2025, the City of Capitola, California, and Integral Consulting conducted a study to determine the effect of their annual firework show on the surrounding animal population in the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. Integral Consulting's Kerri Seger and Greg Cotten used the opportunity to observe how the fireworks impacted the feeding patterns of brown bats.…