Meeting with Caspar Hallmann: network goals and support for RefuBees.
In late Spring 2023, we paid a visit to Caspar Hallmann at Radbout University in Nijmegen, situated on the eastern side of the Netherlands near the German border. Our purpose was to discuss our network intentions with the request of his support for the RefuBee and the City as a Nature Reserve initiative.
When results of research go viral, the urgency of insect conservation is heard
During our meeting, Caspar shared that his research, highlighted in a Reuters news agency press release, triggered to go viral. In addition to his 2018 report (Hillman report linked below), scientists have long before this report got punished already been warning about the signs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. what would be the numbers if we would have been starting measuring in the 60’s? Sadly, there is no remedy for the root causes, such as selfishness, greed, and a lack of empathy.
The alarming decline of insects: Causes and effects
Despite the hundreds of petitions signed by people over the past decade, there has been no shift away from the ‘business as usual’ approach in rural areas. Since measurements began in 1990, a significant 75 percent decline in flying insect biomass in protected areas has been observed over 27 years. If this trend continues, it could reach a staggering 99 percent by 2030. In some Chinese provinces, people are already manually pollinating apple trees with brushes due to the scarcity of insects, especially pollinators.
The fundamental role of pollinators in the food chain
As Dutch biologist and writer Midas Dekkers aptly put it, ‘Insects, and particularly pollinators, play a vital role as they form the foundation of the food chain.’
Image drawing: Schloriz
