Insect Champions Needed A re you ready to stand up and be counted for insects? Everyone, everywhere, is being asked to become an insect champion.
Following on from a 2019 report, which stated that 41% of our insect species are at risk of extinction, The Wildlife Trusts have just published a new report that brings together case studies and solutions from across the UK to inspire us all to do something for insects. One of the featured case studies is our own Lower Smite Farm, a 65 hectare mixed arable farm, which is managed to increase the diversity and abundance of insects. We don’t use insecticides, slug pellets or livestock wormers. Our volunteers have planted 2km of species-rich hedges, created 500m of beetle banks and built 50 log piles for insects.
We’re not working in isolation. With a grant from DEFRA, we run a Wild Pollinator Facilitation Fund that allows us to work with 50 farmers to share our combined learning and experiences in order to encourage each other to try new ideas to help insects and other wildlife. The group is not only helping to improve and create habitat on their land but they’re building connectivity – corridors through the landscape that allow insects to move. These corridors, ultimately, connect our nature reserves and their farms with your gardens and other greenspaces. What we do at Lower Smite Farm can be done on a smaller scale in your garden and local community. We have plenty of nectar and pollen rich plants and when we mow a field, we leave wide margins that are full of flowers – these not only help pollinating insects but also allow species like crickets and grasshoppers to complete their lifecycles. A visiting farmer commented that it looked like we’d flower-bombed the farm! Not mowing all your lawn could achieve the same thing and you could give it a helping hand by sowing native wildflower seeds.
14 Completely Bromsgrove
We’ve drilled fence posts to provide nesting oppor tunities for solitary bees; you could install a bee hotel. Our beetle banks are bare ear th with sunny and shady sides - in your garden, you could leave patches of earth in flower beds that you don’t dig in order to leave space for ground-dwelling insects.
Basically, we can all do our bit to offer ‘The Big 4’ – yearround food supplies, safe breeding and wintering habitat, connectivity of habitat and removing causes of stress such as pesticides. If you don’t have a garden, why not join forces with your community to make a difference for insects in your neighbourhood? Sign up to take action for insects and you’ll have access to even more information about helping insects where you live www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/action-insects
by Wendy Carter, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
Keep up to date with us: www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/worcestershirewildlifetrust Follow us on Twitter @WorcsWT Watch us on YouTube www.youtube.com/c/WorcswildlifetrustUK1 Photos:
Grasshopper by Dave Merry. Hoverfly on daisy by Pete Smith. Background: Bumble-bird mix Lower Smite Farm by Wendy Carter
