Not knowing when the dawn will come
I open every door
Or has it feathers like a bird,
Or billows like a shore?
Emily Dickinson
Spring Poem
How to Help Bumblebees
The US Fish and Wildlife Service just finished reviewing petitions to add certain species to the endangered list, one of which includes the Southern Plains bumblebee. This large black-and-yellow bee is found in the mid-Atlantic states, the mid-west and the Plains states from Texas to North Dakota. It lives in open prairies, meadows and grasslands. It is also found in grasslands and savannahs of south-east states, including Florida. Habitat loss and degradation, plus pesticides have led to sharp population declines.
Some things that you can do to help bumblebees in your area include planting pollinator gardens, avoiding the use of pesticides, and making sure there is long grass and undisturbed leaf-litter (in early spring) so that bumblebee queens have adequate cover. Thank you for being kind to animals and bees.
Some Inspiration for 2024
On this special day I take the opportunity to wish you many blessings, good health, and peace in the year. I also shall share this poem by Emily Dickinson, one of my favorite poets. It is part of the collection of 1,775 poems that were not published until after her death in 1186.
“If I can stop one heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.”
The Holidays
It is almost the end of the year — and for many it is a season of reflection, joy, sadness, cooking, making snow people, wearing sweaters, shopping and spending moments with loved ones. As we speed through the minutes and hours into tomorrow may we take a moment to be grateful for all of our blessings. May we take time to honor those animals, friends, relatives, or strangers who are no longer with us. And may we take time to enjoy the food we eat (that someone probably grew on her or his farm) and may we thank those, even strangers or pets, who show us kindness. You see, kindness does not cost anything and yet it gives us so much. A simple act of kindness has the power to bring the giver joy and good feelings, AND it brings the same to the receiver. So, at this time, I ask you to see if you can share some kindness today, no matter how big or how small. Thank you. May you have many blessings and peace in your heart.
Gratitude
We are about to enter into one of my favorite times of the year –the holiday season which encompasses Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. I realize that life is far from perfect and there are so many humans and animals that are suffering. With that said, may we try to treat one another with kindness. May we have gratitude for all of our blessings, and may we protect this world with all of its beauty.
Here is a photo of a monarch butterfly and a honeybee which unexpectedly came before me while I was walking in a nature preserve. I was and am in such admiration of their magnificence and strength. Most butterflies only live 2-6 weeks, and the ones which migrate from Mexico to North America can live from August or September to April. Bees live 5- 7 weeks and are incredibly valuable to the planet. One out of every three bites you put in your mouth was pollinated by honeybees.
Remember, life is short and precious. Live it mindfully and share your love with others.
Inspiring
Many of you are aware, Climate Week took place in Manhattan, NY the week of September 17th. Many people, from all walks of life, got together to talk about climate change, nature, and reducing carbon footprints. There were speeches, marches, seminars, discussions and cultural performances. I was fortunate to attend some of the events and was really touched by an organization called Junglekeepers, http://www.junglekeepers.com, founded by Paul Rosolie. He and his team are protecting 30,000 acres in Peruvian Amazon, and doing work that truly inspires me. I saw a video he shared showing a beautiful puma and jaguar. I also had a chance to speak with him. May we all remember that the Amazon is home to millions of trees, numerous Indigenous communities, and uncountable numbers of animal heartbeats. Sadly, new roads, illegal logging, poaching, and mining have begun to seriously degrade the forest.
Fortunately, Junglekeepers is doing work that makes a positive difference. I invite you to support Paul’s team and other groups working to protect forests, and the precious animals in them.
Hope
I hope you all had a nice summer and enjoyed some time with your loved ones. There is so much hard news out there and devastating forest fires in Canada, the United States, Greece, Spain, Croatia and Vietnam. People and animals have lost their homes, and many died from smoke inhalation. And yet, I remain hopeful that we can turn this situation around. There are so many people working to mitigate climate change and make sure that the Earth’s temperatures stop rising and start to decline. So, this is message which is meant to be encouraging in its nature. In the words of so many, we can do this. We each, individually, and collectively, can make a difference to help our fellow humans, and the precious animals of the world. Please reduce your carbon footprints, eat less meat, consume less, and take a walk in a forest or swim in the ocean. I have said it previously, each minute counts. Each one of us matters, and we can positively impact the future.
Bees and Our Health
I have been thinking a lot about bees, and our food supply. As you may know, our supply of fruits, vegetables and nuts is linked to the health of the bee population. The bee population has been in sharp decline, especially because of neonicotinoids which are the most widely used insecticides in the world. Unlike traditional pesticides, which are typically applied to plant surfaces, they are absorbed and transported through all parts of the plant tissue.
Neonicotinoids are modeled after nicotine and interfere with insects’ nervous systems, causing tremors, paralysis and eventually, death. Neonicotinoids are so toxic that one corn seed treated with them contains enough insecticide to kill over 80,000 honey bees.
So what can you do? Write to the EPA to ban these pesticides. You can also refrain from using heavy chemicals on your lawn and create gardens that attract bees and support their health, and ultimately, our own.
Circularity
I just read an interesting article, “Iceland Makes Circularity Look Effortless” by Sarah Golden. You may be wondering “what is circularity?”. It an economic model that emphasizes reduce, reuse and recycle; and transforms the way we think about what goes into the garbage. It challenges manufacturers to consider what happens to products after they land in the hands of consumers. In a nutshell, it is about not creating waste. 99% of the things we buy end up in the trash within 6 months. And we have already dumped 10 million tonnes of plastic into the ocean. It would be better for humans, as well as wildlife, if more businesses and all of us adopted a circular model. No one likes to swim in plastic, neither do the dolphins
Happy Summer
I wish you a happy and healthy summer season.