Naturally Kiawah Magazine Volume 41 | Page 56

seem like filling in a small number of wetlands would be a problem, until a lot of people do it. Overall, there has been a general disregard for protecting native habitat, which has led to a dramatic loss in insect populations. Other significant contributors to the demise of insects include the overuse of toxic insecticides to control crops, which have eradicated nearby insect- loving milkweed, wildflowers, and weeds. Environmentalists blame the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for granting emergency approval of insecticides, allowing them to bypass the traditional testing process. Other threats for insects include wildfires, climate change, nitrification due to the use of fossil fuel, and light pollution. Finally, many homeowners are unknowingly removing native plants that support insects, birds, and other wildlife, replacing them with expansive lawns, a hostile, unfruitful environment for insects and other wildlife. Studies are showing how vital habitat friendly plantings are in our yards, urban, suburban, and rural. What can we do? As you can see, the drastic increase in the insect apocalypse is primarily due to human activity. There are things that we can do now to reverse this emergency. • • Use natural and organic fertilizers instead of synthetic chemicals. • • Support initiatives to protect and reestablish native habitat corridors, habitat stepping stones, for local and migrating insects. • • Have farmers reserve portions of land with local native habitat. • • Time the mowing or plowing of fields around the local two-week monarch butterfly migration. • • Use local native plants and limit turf areas in landscaping. • • Avoid mowing turf too short. Fireflies prefer higher grasses. • • Plant local native milkweed and wildflowers for butterflies. 54 70 percent of Kiawah property owners have earned the Naturally Kiawah Habitat Award for maintaining wildlife-friendly native habitat in landscaping. Naturally Kiawah