October, 2019
Lincoln – Regardless how important other events seem this year, the top bad-news development is the shocking decline of birds and insects. The natural world seems to be on the edge of collapse, judging by these two indicators.
Bird species like quail and eastern and western meadowlarks are down precipitously. In fact, such grassland birds are declining more rapidly than all others.
On our local grassland here, one can still see these birds. Baltimore orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks, too, are present in the adjacent riparian areas.
But for how long? We're hopeful that a new environmental plan for the area will soon start a process to protect these streams and grasslands. It can't come soon enough.
Our national bird, the bald eagle, was saved from extinction by purposeful action some years ago, so there is hope.
What about our state bird, the western meadowlark? We'll soon know local reactions when the environmental plan is published later this year. Will historic grassland habitats be saved, or bulldozed?
It's harder to know what to make of the "insect apocalypse." Among our most beneficial insects, bees, the decline has been so severe that the Adee beekeeper family, originally from Nebraska, has taken its bees out of our state because the environmental challenges are just too great. According to press reports, "The official Nebraska state insect is feeling the sting of agricultural chemicals, unfavorable weather, flooding and mites, according to beekeepers big and small."
We raise bees on our property, trying to provide suitable habitat. But last year was the worst ever, according to our beekeepers.
It's all shocking. When the natural world is in peril, all else must be put in diminished context.
