Lori Danielson, president of Eastside Audubon Society.
President’s Letter: Another Reason for Gardening with Native Plants
By Lori Danielson
An editorial about bugs caught my eye the other day. Bugs? It was an unusual topic for an editorial but this one was in a scientific journal and written by entomologists (References below). While I don’t especially love the little creatures that bite me or damage my garden plants, I’m happy to let them coexist because I know they’re a crucial food source for birds. Insects perform many other beneficial and essential environmental services too, including pollination and waste recycling.
Like so many other environmental issues, the news on bugs isn’t good. The editorial referred to evidence of an alarming decline in insects worldwide as the result of several problems including climate change, habitat loss, and pollution. But the authors went on to say that individuals can take action to help mitigate the loss. Count me in, I thought, and give me things I can do that will lessen my feeling of helplessness in the face of biodiversity loss.
As Audubon members and friends, I suspect some of you may feel a similar feeling of despair when yet more evidence of environmental degradation appears. And I believe that what helps the bugs will help birds too, so I wanted to share the article’s suggested actions with you. They are:
Replace your lawn, even just part of it, with a diverse natural habitat.
Grow plants native to your area.
Reduce pesticide and herbicide use.
Limit the use of exterior lighting.
Reduce car-washing soap runoff and the use of driveway sealants.
Increase appreciation of insects by countering existing negative perceptions.
Become an advocate for insect conservation.
Get involved in local politics, support science, and vote.
These are steps I’m willing to take myself and promote to others in order to counteract my feelings of frustration and despair about the destruction of the ecosystems that give us life. Will you join me?
To learn more, here are links to the editorial and related articles:
Opinion: Eight simple actions that individuals can take to save insects from global declines. Akito Y. Kawahara, Lawrence E. Reeves, Jesse R. Barber, Scott H. Black. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jan 2021, 118 (2) e2002547117; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002547117, https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002547117
Insects are vanishing at an alarming rate—but we can save them. Christine Peterson. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2021/01/studies-confirm-alarmiang-insect-decline/
Insects from All Over the Globe are Vanishing at Alarming Rates---But it isn't too Late, The Science Times, https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/29044/20210111/insects-from-all-over-the-globe-are-vanishing-at-alarming-rates-but-it-isnt-too-late.htm