Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand July/August 2020 | Page 12

Our pollinators are in trouble
and we, as gardeners, have an
opportunity to save them.”
from the
EDITOR
TG
Toby Gorman
Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a
fascination with insects. While others
around me liked the big cute fuzzy creatures (of
course, I like those too), I often searched rotting
tree stumps, under rocks, and other places to
see what was hanging around. Potato bugs,
millipedes, stink bugs, and countless others
were observed and researched. What were their
roles in nature? What did they do all day or all
night? What did they eat, and what ate them?
What was the life of an insect like? Over time,
I developed a bit of an emotional attachment
to them. I once spent three hours resuscitating
a bumble bee that had been stuck in an
abandoned spider web. I untangled it, cleaned
it, gave it some water, and offered it some mock
orange flowers. Convinced it was dead, I almost
gave up when I noticed a leg move. Then its
antennae, then a wing. Slowly, it came to life,
gorged on the flower, then suddenly, to my
delight, flew off. I wish I could say it did a fly-by
with a wing dip to say thanks, but it didn’t. Still,
it reinforced my connection to this diverse but
often ignored group of world citizens. Society
certainly tends to take them for granted, not
caring about the carnage plastered on the front
of the car after a drive in the country.
Truth is, these amazing little creatures help
us more than we know. They are far below us
in the food chain, but their importance can’t
be overstated. They are crucial components of
any ecosystem, aerating the soil, controlling
harmful pests, and, in the case of beetles and
worms, recycling nutrients back into the soil.
Another major role is pollination, perhaps
the most important role as far as humans
are concerned. With this in mind, we asked
regular contributor Monica Mansfield to
identify indigenous plants we can feature in
our gardens to help our little friends. Turns
out, if we all put in a little effort, it would be
a big help.
“Our pollinators are in trouble and we, as
gardeners, have an opportunity to save them.
Researchers say if everyone planted just one
pot of nectar-rich flowers, it would restore
healthy pollinator communities,” writes
Mansfield in her story “The Best Plants for
Pollinators” on page 30.
For me, Mansfield’s story takes me back to
my childhood chasing insects while learning
that, very often, it’s the little things that make
the biggest difference.
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Maximum Yield