“Mists and mellow fruitfulness” come to mind in this time of seasonal transition. One of our favourite nature happenings this time of year is the flowering of the ivy plant. If you want to find insects, they are all there, bees, wasps, hoverflies, butterflies (although as we recently learned butterfly numbers have declined to the lowest number on record). It is a joyous gathering of winged creatures feasting on the ivy pollen. Sadly, the lack of understanding about our most wonderful invertebrates, despite the desperate crisis that they are in, shows no sign of abating. Last week whilst walking a favourite path, I was approached by a woman, warning me of a swarm of wasps being aggressive on the path. Intrigued, it transpired that what she had so feared, was just such a gathering of insects, on the ivy, occasionally whooshed into the path by the blustery wind, nothing aggressive. She had gone before I had time to allay her fears. Last Sunday I was again reminded of what our insects are up against, getting anyone to really care at their plight. Radio 5 live on Sunday morning was asking people for their worst insect experiences… and there was no shortage of the “yuck” factor on the air waves from both callers and presenters. I do find it hard to reconcile; the nature crisis that is evident to those who see it and completely invisible to the majority. Shifting baseline syndrome is a term used for the normalisation of nature loss through the generations. My children think it is completely normal for there to be no insect incursion when leaving a light on in the bathroom at night, not to be inundated by nocturnal flying insects coming in through the open window.
Thinner and thinner wears the cloth, however; moths pass out of sight, beyond belief, their absence briefly noted, if at all, as distant memory, half forgotten grief.
This is an extract from a poem by Robert Macfarlane, Moth. It recalls the grief of our shifting baselines.
But we try not to be discouraged, at ELF we continue to put communities, both human and non-human first in our endeavours to assist those who come to us. We are reporting this quarter on a couple of cases that we are working on with barristers giving their time for free, part of our wonderful professional membership.
Emma Montlake
Co-Director, ELF
