Altona CAN! Open Our Eyes to Nature

As I’ve watched the insects slowly emerge this spring and summer, I was somehow reminded of a time

in my childhood when I was fascinated with bugs.  I remember examining the windshield and bumper of

the car after a driving trip and being amazed by the variety of bees, butterflies and other bugs that were

plastered to the car.  As morbid as it was, it gave me a chance to examine these insects close up and

without fear. As I reflected on that memory, I realized that this is something that my children have

probably not experienced.  I started to wonder why we see so many fewer insects these days.  I did some

research and I was shocked by the results.

 

Within the last 20 years there has been a massive decline in insect populations world wide. Stanford

University developed a global index for insect population which showed a 45% decline over the last four \

decades.  In the last 20 years, the population of monarch butterflies in the eastern U.S. has declined by

90%. It’s also estimated that the commercial honey bee population in the US has declined by 40% since

2006.

Wild bees are at far greater risk with between a quarter and a third of wild bee species worldwide at risk

of extinction. The reasons for this dramatic decline are clear; climate change, overuse of insecticides and

habitat loss.  Insects are vulnerable to climate change; as climate zones shift, their sources of food can

change or disappear. Most insects are unable to extend their range as global temperatures increase.

Insects are also vulnerable to the widespread use of pesticides which have an impact on non-target species.

Many conservationists view a special class of pesticides called neonicotinoids — used over many years

in Europe until a partial ban in 2013 — as the prime suspect for insect losses. Habitat loss due to

overdevelopment of urban areas and resource development that upsets the delicate balance of nature leave

many insect habitats under threat from human invasion. 

Although many of us may hate bugs, this is an important issue because when the bottom of the food chain

is endangered, so too is everything up the chain — including people. Declining insect populations threaten

birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians that eat insects, as well as the many plants that require them for

pollination. Insects are also crucial to soil health, nutrient recycling and ecosystem functioning.

Bees and other pollinating insects play an essential role in ecosystems. A third of all our food depends on

their pollination. A world without pollinators would be devastating for food production.

   

Solutions to this challenging problem include both big and small actions.  We need to elect politicians

who are going to take these issues seriously a offer meaningful solutions to climate change.  Canada should

also follow Europe’s lead by banning bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides and promoting sustainable

industrial agriculture and ecological farming.

There are things we can do on a personal level as well. Organizations such as the Butterflyway Project

encourage people to grow highways of habitat for bees and butterflies through neighbourhoods in

communities across Canada.  Monarch caterpillars consume only the leaves of milkweed and lay their

eggs on it.  If there is no milkweed, there are no monarchs. So you can help by planting milkweed along

with many other pollinator friendly plants in your garden such Echinacea, Phlox, Columbine, Coreopsis. 

Even a tiny plot or patch can provide valuable habitat for pollinators.

As we head into insect season, maybe we need to again see insects through the eyes of a child. 

“Every child is born a naturalist. Their eyes are, by nature, open to the glories of the stars, the beauty

of the flowers, and the mystery of life.” - R. Search.

By Joanne Wiebe