Thankful for all things great and small

BY SARAH EYKYN

Sometimes it’s the smallest things – pollinators – that remind us of what’s really important in life.

When I first moved to America I was very lucky to call Boulder, Colorado my home. It was hard to find myself so far away from my family and friends as I began my new, married life. I turned to long walks in the stunning foothills to get to know my surroundings. As I wandered along in the shadow of the imposing Flatirons, I found a winding path lined with magnificent sunflowers. Nestled on the leaves of one was this beautiful Ladybug.

In England we call them Ladybirds, and there’s a nursery rhyme we used to sing as children that began, “Ladybird, ladybird fly away home.” I felt a bit tearful thinking how far away my family was, and how much I missed them. (Something many of us feel during the holidays when we are hundreds or thousands of miles away…).

Most of us know that the next line of the rhyme is, “Your house in on fire and your children are gone”. What I didn’t know is that farmers in England used to recite this rhyme before burning their fields. Why? Because these beneficial insects, which help to reduce pests and pollinate crops, were too valuable to be harmed.

(I must clarify that was not something we were taught at the Royal Agricultural University….)

As we approach the holidays, and we traipse the aisles of our local grocery store in search of ingredients for pies and puddings to go with the Roast Beast, it occurs to me that we really should be more thankful for the humble pollinators who are the real reason we can enjoy 35 percent of all the food crops in the world.

Without pollinators, traditional holiday fare simply would not be possible.

Unfortunately, our bee populations are in serious decline, and the sustainability of our food production systems is at risk.  For a variety of reasons that have no proven scientific cause – including pesticides, mites, viruses and nutrition – Colony Collapse Disorder is decimating bee populations.

Pollinators play a vital role in our food system

The good news is that there are things we can do to help protect important pollinators, including providing natural habitats in our gardens and urban landscapes where they can find food, shelter and water. Just growing a mix of perennials and annual plants is a great place to start. The Pollinator Partnership has a lot of great suggestions.

Sometimes it really is the smallest things that remind us what we need to be most grateful for. Little insects who make our daily bread possible, for one. Which is why I plan to share seed packets with my friends and family as holiday gifts so that we can repay the pollinators with a feast of their own in the spring.

Until next time,

Sarah