…we need to invite, encourage, and celebrate the wildlife in our gardens. A recent report by Buglife and Kent Wildlife Trust confirms what we all have observed (or rather, have not observed) on our windscreens and number plates: insect numbers have declined dramatically. My friend drives to Scotland each year in August. In a Landrover. Yet barely any insects grace his screen, even though he drives conservatively, and makes the journey over the course of a few days to enjoy the pilgrimage.
My difficulty at the moment is that despite a totally hands-off approach to gardening, the surrounding landscape is so unrelenting for any species trying to make a home, I simply don’t seem to have the baseline populations to use what I am offering. Here is my garden, and my immediate surroundings:
We can all help our wildlife as doesn’t need to specifically be insects; it all “counts” in our gardens and outdoor spaces, but it does take observation and commitment, and action. I listened to an excellent podcast about growing food on underutilised common land, meaning these spaces which have formerly been mown and sprayed now are home to community food spaces, known as the Incredible Edible movement. Linking food growing to wildlife habitat is surely the best way to conserve and engage, as the whole system of food production and land awareness needs a complete reset. People become so detached from nature and where food comes from, and having a land-sharing approach would help so many facets of society.
One of the problems brought up in the podcast highlighted the fact that families or individuals on a low income not only struggle to afford food, but there is little incentive to cook or prepare fresh meals. Consequently the siren call of the takeaway is an inevitable solution to a quick, easy, tasty meal with no washing up, no oven, no need for pans and baking trays. Preparing meals has become something to watch on social media, not a basic skill. Children not only aren’t taught home economics in schools, but nor is it given any sort of priority, despite the absolute necessity of something so fundamental to our health and ability to take care of ourselves.
Another great listen, if you’re interested in regenerative agriculture, is the Farm Gate podcast…I particularly enjoyed the episode with Josiah Meldrum of Hodmedod’s, one of my favourite places to shop. There are so many good and interesting foodstuffs, and – more importantly – recipes to show how quality plant protein is easy to access in a delicious and nutritious way. I also have a veg box from my local CSA scheme as well as a delivery from Abel & Cole. I prioritise food over all other expenditure so although it is expensive, relatively speaking, it’s a daily treat to have such amazing raw materials to work with.
Wayward Bee 
Jen, if you care to research the decline in insect populations, one really crucial aspect is being vastly under-reported and cast with loads of dis-info, and that is climate-engineering/weather modification which is being labeled as ‘climate change’. Geoengineeringwatch.org and ClimateViewer.com are really good resources here. Also, Dutchinsense YT channel, and many others, are teaching about the current weather manipulation tech, using frequencies, this is drastically affecting the insects, and of course, all of life. Thank you for your efforts!
Well, I have to disagree with you there: climate change is a thing and always has been – it’s right there in the rock record – but us humans are accelerating it with various activities despite having evolved to live within very narrow parameters, given we need to grow food and drink water, and there are an awful lot of us now. Your suggestion also doesn’t solve for the fact that there are many areas where practises have changed to a systems-based approach rather than focussing wholly on production/output, and in those areas, biodiversity, water conservation, soil health, plant productivity, insect populations etc are steadily improving. Carbon sequestration is basic biochemistry. The greenhouse effect is basic geochemistry. The biodiversity crisis is caused by a breakdown of the systems required to maintain them such as habitat loss, insecticide/fungicide/herbicide use, development, removal of nest sites, lack of forage, micro plastics, macro plastics, pollution, extraction, invasive species…I could go on but that is happening right before everyone’s eyes and despite being completely out in the open and frequently reported about for decades, folk think it doesn’t matter.
But you see, I think it matters a great deal! You say you disagree with me, but I agree with everything there you’ve written. It’s just, there’s a really important piece missing is what I’m saying. The geoengineering/weather modification/climate remediation is a huge piece of this that is making the situation worse, not better. The global public-private partnerships and vast climate operations that are not disclosed to the public because of reasons of ‘national security’ are causing loads of havoc on populations around the world and some of this is very deliberate. I hope you will take a bit of time to look into those resources I mention before calling me wrong just because what I share is not part of the official narrative.
I have looked at the resources you suggested. And I still disagree. Regardless of the actual information (which I don’t believe is based on fact) the idea that ANY organisation could withhold that amount of information having that effect for that length of time is vastly overestimating the ability of humans to keep a secret. There is no “official narrative” that I subscribe to, simply natural factors that I am witnessing with my own eyes that relate to something that is explained by what is actually happening, and that information is right out in the open and fully disclosed – has been for years. It can’t be made worse by anything unreported as everything being reported and observed is completely backed up by natural science. Besides, our government, couldn’t run a bath, let alone some covert climate manipulation.