The Rotary Club of Lincoln Colonia held a very successful Pollinators Awareness Conference on Tuesday 11th October at the Lincolnshire Showground.
Professor Dave Goulson, who is a British bumblebee ecologist, spoke about the catastrophic decline in insects in the UK and the effect on food production.
Tammy Smalley from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust spoke outlining the great things the trust is doing to encourage people to learn to live more at one with nature.
60 years ago, biologist and writer, Rachel Carson, wrote ‘Silent Spring’ which exposed the destruction of wildlife by pesticides.
The chemical industry tried to ban it, but it led to the banning of DDT and raised new public awareness of the environment.
Insects have declined by 75% over the last 10 years in the UK, this took an impact on other wildlife, especially birds.
Professor Goulson has written several books, his latest is ‘Silent Earth’.
Insects are essential for life as we know it. As they become scarcer, our world will slowly grind to a halt; we cannot function without them.
Drawing on the latest ground-breaking research and a lifetime’s study, Dave Goulson revealed the shocking decline of insect populations that have taken place in recent decades, with potentially catastrophic consequences. He passionately argues that we must all learn to love, respect and care for our six-legged friends.
Eye-opening, inspiring and riveting, Silent Earth is a part love letter to the insect world, part elegy, part rousing manifesto for a greener planet. It is a call to arms for profound change at every level – in government policy, agriculture, industry and in our own homes and gardens. Although time is running out, it is not yet too late for insect populations to recover. We may feel helpless in the face of many environmental issues that loom on our horizon, but Goulson shows us how we can all take simple steps to encourage insects and counter their destruction.
Tammy Smalley from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust gave an enthusiastic and informative talk about the trust work, which dovetails with Dave Goulson’s work.
A healthy natural environment underpins economic growth, food security, health and well-being. It is not a “nice to have” that can wait.
