Letter to the Editor:
Stepping out my door a couple days ago, I went from being “very concerned” over climate change to “so shocked I’m almost breathless,” and I’ll tell you why.
It’s spring time in our lovely part of the world,and that means greening of the mountain sides in the distance and dandelions at my feet.
I’d been shocked back in June of 2020 when I read the information put out by York University in Toronto that about 94 percent of wild bee and native plant species networks have been lost, a York study finds. (Quote: https://news.yorku.ca/2020/07/14.)
That was four years ago, and from then on, I’d left dandelions alone until their changing blooms showed that they’d been pollinated before I plucked some of the seed heads off.
I felt we had “enough” dandelions and I could enjoy some grass growing in between them.
So I smiled as I saw the yellow blooms pop up seemingly overnight a couple of weeks ago.
There didn’t seem to be as many as I’d expected but I didn’t worry — they’re dandelions, after all!
There’s never been a shortage of dandelions.
About a week later I realized one reason why there were fewer dandelions and though I hadn’t worried then, I’m worried now.
Because there is not one bee, fly or insect of any kind on any of those dandelions.
I know because I’ve repeatedly walked across the yard examining every last inch of it and there is not one insect to be found — anywhere in the yard.
None.
The robins spend a lot of time hopping around out there because they’ve got to find earthworms — there’s nothing else to eat out there.
This morning, I spied a blue bottle fly crawling in a very shaky manner along the soil flanking the sidewalk.
I immediately knelt down on the sidewalk to watch what would happen next, and it didn’t take a minute.
The fly stopped moving because it died, right there as I watched.
I examined the grass around that area for quite a few feet in every direction and there was nothing alive above ground.
So, I’m worried, let me tell you.
What do we do now?
If there are no pollinators for our wild plants, what’s going to pollinate the plants we need to eat or in order to eat?
How do we get them to make and set seed?
I truly don’t know where to turn.
Sincerely,
Annette Gallatin,
Trail