FROM BUGBYTES. PESTICIDES AND WHAT THEY KILL

 

Dear John Welcome to the August edition of Buglife's monthly e-newsletter, BugBytes!   We're here, once again, to keep you up to date with invertebrate news, forthcoming events, interesting snippets of information, and so much more.  The past month has been a month of action and campaigning for Buglife and our partners, both locally and nationally; with so much to share and catch-up on lets buzz right in!     #GoPesticideFree and Let it Grow! Recently the call for the UK Government to ban the use of pesticides in publicly run areas of our villages, towns and cities, has gone out. As part of the Pesticide Collaboration, Buglife is supporting the new campaign calling on the UK Government to ban the use of pesticides in places such as playgrounds, streets and parks. Councils are already going pesticide free and they need resources and support. France, Denmark and Luxembourg have already banned the use of pesticides in urban areas, which proves that it is perfectly possible to manage urban spaces with non-chemical alternatives.  Here in the UK, many councils are also proving that, despite budget restrictions, going pesticide-free is achievable. With support from the UK government we can build on their efforts and take the pesticide-free movement nationwide.    #GoPesticideFree & sign the petition   Useful to know: The Pesticide Collaboration brings together over 90 health and environmental organisations, academics, trade unions and many others, working under a shared vision to urgently reduce pesticide-related harms in the UK. This campaign also builds on the work of more than 100 local authorities across the UK that have already significantly reduced or eliminated their use of pesticides.   Buglife Members' Event... We're delighted to share that plans for the Buglife Members' Event are coming together nicely.  Based on previous feedback, we have devised a programme of what we hope our buzzing and vibrant Community will find a great selection of both speakers and topics. Buglife President, Steve Backshall, will be opening the event and welcoming our Member Community, you'll be introduced to a number of the Buglife Team and invited to listen to talks on a variety of subjects from the Great Grasshopper Hunt to an update on our Manifesto for Bugs, through to a deep dive into some of our freshwater project work and gardening for bugs. It's set to be a fantastic evening and a great celebration of the small things that run the planet! We'll be sending out invites and further information shortly, so make sure your Membership is up to date, check the timing details below and pencil us in to your calendars and diaries. Thursday 19 September 2024 19:00 - 21:00 Online via Zoom Middlewick Ranges - in defence of the ‘Wonderful Wick’! Over the years our supporters and followers have signed many of the Buglife petitions to save important sites not just for invertebrates, but wildlife in general and communities. Today, we ask you, once again, to support us and add your voice to ours. An outstanding wildlife and community site in Essex is under serious threat from the development of up to 1,000 houses. We need your help to secure the future of this nationally important haven for wildlife.  Together with local community groups, individuals and national organisations, including Colchester Natural History Society, Essex Field Club, Essex Wildlife Trust, the Friends of Middlewick, and Butterfly Conservation we are calling for Middlewick Ranges to be removed from the Local Plan and for a vision for its long-term future that protects it for wildlife and people to be developed. Our petition is currently hovering at around 9,000 signatures, please sign and share  to save the wonderful Wick! I want to defend the wildlife of Middlewick Ranges! Middlewick tree and sunset © Gosia Zarborny Become a Citizen Scientist this summer!   It's a brilliant time to explore the great outdoors, spend time with family & become a Citizen Scientist, if you aren't already!  There are lots of fantastic bug-gy activities to get involved with; check out some of our suggestions below: Bugs Matter ~ Lack of insects has been a hot topic once again this year. There are a number of ways you can help support anecdotal discussion with science and data, starting with our very own Bugs Matter! (open until 30 September). #NatureOverheard ~ Do insects have to change their sounds to be heard in noisy places?  Join the Natural History Museum's Nature Overheard survey to help better understand how road noise affects insects (open until October) PoMScheme FIT Counts ~ Help monitor how pollinator populations are changing with PoMScheme FIT counts!  With your help data is being gathered on a wide range of flower-visiting #insects. All you need is a flower and 15 minutes.  (open until 30 September) Search for the Strandline Beetle ~ Heading to the beach in the South West? Keep your eyes peeled and let us know if you spot one of these strandline scuttlers (open year round) Be a Bee Walker ~ if you have or want to acquire basic identification knowledge, have a few spare hours every month, want to enjoy a short walk and  help monitor the abundance of bumblebees, this is the survey for you! (open until October) Earwig-O ~ Have you seen an earwig this year? If you want to help find out more about these secretive creatures why not take part in The Buzz Club's Earwig-O project. (open until October)   Just a few of the many great insect related Citizen Science opportunities, surveys and activities running at the moment. All are a fantastic way to learn more, contribute to science, and hopefully aid in discovering what is happening in our natural world. #ICYMI ~ Finding Sally... There have been some exciting goings-on with our Buglife Cymru, Natur am Byth!, Scarce Yellow Sally project.  Project Conservation Officer Sarah has recently written a fascinating blog about the eDNA work which is taking place, in partnership with Chester Zoo and Derby University; if you haven't already, then do head on over and have a read!   Finding Sally, the eDNA Blog Scarce Yellow Sally (Isogenus nebucula) taking a look © Sarah Hawkes   Upcoming Events Friday 30 August ~ Buglife on the Farm at Fordhall Organic Farm (Market Drayton, Shropshire) Saturday 31 August ~ Adventures in Nature with Get the Marches Buzzing!  (Little Dawley Pools, Shropshire) Saturday 31 August ~ Back to Nature Festival with Pollinators Along the Tweed (Peebles, Scotland) Monday 2 September ~ Get Buzzing at Foxglove Covert with Coast to Coast (Richmond, North Yorkshire) Thursday 5 September ~ Bees and Beyond with The Biological Recording Company (Online) Wednesday 11 September ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex) Wednesday 18 September ~ A World of Wasps with The Biological Recording Company (Online)  Monday 23 September ~ Earthworms of the UK Part 2 with The Biological recording Company (Online) Wednesday 25 September ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex)   Keep up to date with both current and future Buglife events, as well as events from partners and supporters by visiting the Events Page on our website. News in Brief Calls grow to protect Essex wildlife haven Local community and wildlife organisations have come together to call for one of Essex’s best loved wildlife sites to be protected. Yesterday the six organisations presented ‘Middlewick Ranges: the case for Site of Special Scientific Interest designation’ to the Government’s environmental advisor Natural England – urging it to take urgent steps to secure the site’s future. Find out more... Where have all the insects gone? Conservationists’ call to show that Bugs Matter As the summer holidays begin, the Bugs Matter 2024 survey, led by Buglife and Kent Wildlife Trust, is calling on citizen scientists across the UK to participate in this crucial insect population study. Find out more... Sustainable Solution: Surplus Bricks Repurposed to Create Vital Habitats for Endangered Crayfish Two companies have teamed up with a wildlife charity to help an endangered species. Native White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) numbers have fallen drastically since escaped North American Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) took to British waterways in the 70s. This non-native species can carry an infectious disease which white-claws have no resistance to. Find out more..      Buglife Shop The Buglife shop is open for all your invertebrate needs, offering more ethical options and ways to support bugs.   Check out our new designs and show your support of our Nurture the Night Shift and Curtains for Light Pollution campaigns!  Why not make the most of the weekends FreePost offer in our Teemill store from Friday 30 August, ending midnight Sunday 1 September?     So whether you've got Ants in your Pants or your Going At a Snails Pace" by visiting our shop you'll help bugs in the process!   Shop Now And Finally...   Don't forget you can stay up to date with the work of the Buglife team via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn!  Thank you for your continued interest in and support of our work; together we can save the small things that run the planet! Join Buglife Unsubscribe