Insects and Small Creatures as the Foundation of the Ecosystem

Insects often go unnoticed, but they are the foundation of the ecosystem, providing pollination and recycling organic matter into the soil for the growth of new generations of flora in gardens and forests. Without them, our lives would be impossible, as most cultivated plants depend on insects to reproduce and produce fruits that feed humans and animals. We must stop viewing them as pests and begin to appreciate their role in maintaining the balance of nature on every plot of land underfoot in cities and villages.
Bees are key pollinators, and their populations are threatened by pesticide use and habitat loss in the country’s agricultural landscapes around fields. We install hives in our gardens and support local beekeepers by purchasing honey at farmers’ markets to help preserve these hardworking creatures for future fruit and berry harvests. Each bee visits thousands of flowers daily, and their disappearance would lead to a global food shortage for millions of people. Butterflies adorn our gardens in the summer, and their long-distance migrations demonstrate remarkable navigational skills, allowing them to navigate across continents and oceans without maps or compasses. We plant nectar-producing plants like lavender and buddleia to attract butterflies and help them recover from winter in the warm rays of the sun on the flowers in our flower beds. Butterfly watching has become a popular hobby, and keeping a diary of observations helps scientists track changes in the populations and migratory routes of species in a region.
Ants build complex societies with a division of labor, where each individual fulfills its role for the well-being of the entire colony, an example of efficient organization in nature for group survival. They move the soil, aerating it for plant roots, and remove carrion, keeping the forest and garden around their nests clean and the ground beneath their feet. Despite their small size, their cumulative impact on the ecosystem is enormous, and we try not to unnecessarily disturb their habitats when gardening and tending to lawns.