BugSpace Gardeners Network

The world’s insects are in trouble with widespread, major population crashes recorded around the world. With insects underpinning the health of global ecosystems, the results of their demise would be catastrophic. Unlike most ‘doomisms’ we are so often bombarded with, conserving our insects is a relatively easy thing to do, and everyone can get involved. 

One of the key drivers of insect decline is habitat loss due to urbanisation. However, if we can replace our biologically sterile urban lawns with a more complex landscape rich in native flowers, and filled with nooks and crannies we can create a habitat that can support the pollinators responsible for one bight in three of every meal we eat. Pollinator habitat will also support the thousands upon thousands of insects that rely on flowers to survive but don’t offer pollination services.

While there is much anecdotal evidence that insects are declining here in Australia, the science is not conclusive. Many of us with a few years under our belt remember there being more insects around, and modelling suggests that we are losing about 150 invertebrates (animals without backbones) every year in Australia. 

In the theme of Think Global – Act Local, we are excited to launch the BugSpace Gardeners Network in collaboration with Granite Belt IPM, Borders Landcare Organic Group (BLOG) and Granite Borders Landcare. The group is in its infancy, and we will be reaching out to other groups and seeking input into the project. We hope to launch the project in August and get gardeners signed up to participate.

More to come.