Insects

My recently purchased insect book tells me that so far scientists have identified 360,000 species of beetle, 180,000 of moths and butterflies, 120,000 distinct species of flies, 82,000 ‘true bugs’, 20,000 grasshoppers, 5,000 dragonflies, and so on. At Cabragh we are very proud of two species of exceptionally rare caddisflies that have survived the ravages of time and human encroachment in the pure waters of the Wetlands, but even that pride is tempered by reading that no less than 11,000 species of caddisflies have been identified worldwide. The range and beauty of life is utterly extraordinary, and perhaps most extraordinary of all is the arrogance of humans who assume that our one species is above everything else and is somehow entitled to do whatever it likes with the other beings that share our planet.A quick bit of maths confirms upwards of 750,000 distinct varieties of those common insects listed above, with some naturalists suggesting that the true figure is double that. Another book tells me that there is more life below the surface of the earth, living in the ground, than there is above, including plants birds and animals, as well as insects. Heaven knows where aquatic creatures fit into all of this. Apart from wonder and awe, it is surely humility that should fill us, as we slowly edge towards a clearer understanding of our true place in the natural world. Reason a little further, and surely the conclusion has to be that we have a moral obligation to protect biodiversity and control the growth of human society, both in terms of the numbers of people and their material impact on the resources of the earth. This means a very thorough and basic reconsideration of the core concepts that have underpinned the ‘development’ of human history over the very short period of a few thousand years since our ancestors were hunter-gatherers just two hundred or so generations ago.At Cabragh we are trying to conserve a very special piece of wetland, and the goodwill and generosity of the volunteers and sponsors of our recent Open Day was very heart-warming. It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that thinking people really do care about the natural world. We welcomed ten new members into our group, and hope that many more will stop by to sign up or renew their membership in support of our core values of conservation, education and recreation. Look out for those little creatures in your garden; most of them will do you no harm. If you have a healthy range of different species sharing your land with you, it is pretty clear evidence that you are doing a good job in protecting nature on your doorstep, and ultimately that’s perhaps the best thing most of us can hope to do in our lifetime.