Happy Earth Day 2019! We’re celebrating this year's theme, Protect Our Species, with insects as more than forty percent of all insect species worldwide are declining and one third is now classed as endangered (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47195749?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cnegp3zl2pyt/insects&link_location=live-reporting-story). Insects are crucial for the proper functioning of all ecosystems as they provide food for birds, bats, reptiles and small mammals; they pollinate seventy five percent of all the crops in the world; replenish the soil and keep pest numbers down (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature).
The dramatic decline in numbers has been caused by intensive agriculture, pesticides, deforestation and urbanisation along with climate change (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47198576). But, we can all help by encouraging more insects into our gardens by growing nectar rich plants such as wildflower, lavender and honeysuckle (https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/plants-for-bees/). Right, off to the garden centre. Enjoy the sunny bank holiday.
For more information you might like to visit, https://www.earthday.org/about/
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