Louth Local Development’s Post

Insect hotels are a great way to support biodiversity in our orchards. These structures provide safe habitats for beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs, and butterflies, helping them shelter and reproduce. Insect hotels contribute to healthier plants and ecosystems by offering a refuge for pollinators and natural pest controllers. 💚 #letsclimact #carbonneutrallemons #citroncarboneneutre #carbonlimitedimpact #climateneutral

Is your supply chain buff(ered)? 💪 ⚡️Buffer strips, which are areas of vegetation planted between fields and water bodies, are beneficial for both carbon sequestration and biodiversity: 1️⃣ Carbon Sequestration: Perennial plants and deep-rooted species in these strips can lock in carbon for extended periods. 2️⃣ Biodiversity Support: They provide habitat for a wide range of wildlife, including pollinators, birds, and small mammals. 3️⃣ Erosion Control and Soil Health: Buffer strips prevent soil erosion, which not only helps in retaining nutrients but also contributes to healthier water systems. #getbuffered #biodiversity #carbon #water

Today is #BiodiversityDay! 🌍🌿 💚 Butterflies and moths react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. They can tell us a lot about the health of our environment and ecosystems. 🦇 They are a vital part of the food chain and are prey for birds, bats and other insectivorous animals. 🌼 Areas rich in butterflies and moths are rich in other invertebrates. These collectively provide a wide range of environmental benefits, including pollination and natural pest control. You can give a boost to biodiversity where you live by creating a #WildSpace 👉 wild-spaces.co.uk 📷: Humming-bird Hawk-moth - Will Langdon

What’s all the buzz? It’s World Bee Day! While most bees are solitary creatures living underground, there are some species that live in colonies like honey bees, bumblebees, and stingless bees. Regardless if they’re a solitary bee or not, native bees are responsible for pollinating 75% of the world’s flowering plants making them an integral part of our ecosystems that are also highly threatened from habitat loss, climate change, and disease. Let’s celebrate bees by: using natural solutions instead of pesticides, leaving undisturbed areas in our gardens for nesting and protection, building a bee house, planting native plants, and supporting local beekeepers and their businesses. If you should find a tired bee, help revive it by mixing two teaspoons of white granulated sugar with one teaspoon of water and leaving it on a plate or by dripping it on a flower. Bees and other pollinators like butterflies, beetles, birds, bats, ants, and other insects, do so much for us. Let’s honor them in return by providing the habitats they need to thrive! #WorldBeeDay #Savethebees #sonomavalley

Did you know that an easy hack for boosting biodiversity on your land this month can be as easy as letting the grass grow? 🌱 No Mow May is all about encouraging people to change their habits to mowing their lawns less, with a view to letting wildflowers bloom and better support the environment as a result. Here are some hints on why it matters: 🦗 Allowing grass and other plants to grow creates a vital habitat for wildlife such as bees, birds, and small mammals 🌾By encouraging the growth of a diverse range of plants species, No Mow May helps create richer biodiversity in urban areas 🌿 Longer grass can help water runoff and soil erosion, while also improving general soil health as it helps promote the growth of beneficial microbes #NoMowMay #FoodForBiodiversity

Save the pollinators, bee better! 🐝 Comment for a way to build bumblebee habitat in your garden 🛠 Biodiversity reminders, day #284 (-110)🌍🗓❗️ Mamangava (aka. belliscous bumble bee) Status: data deficient Geographic range: from northwestern Argentina, Uruguay, in the state of Paraná in Brazil Main threats:  ⚠ habitat conservation and fragmentation due to urban development, road construction, conversion to agricultural land and cattle grazing ⚠ pesticide use ⚠ climate change: sensitivity to temperature due to retraction southwards #climateaction #biodiversity #endangeredspecies #plants #animals

#DYK the majority of Australia's weeds have escaped from home gardens around the country and are doing terrible damage to our natural environment? Lantana, first introduced to Australia as an ornamental garden plant in 1841, is now considered one of Australia’s most invasive weeds, covering more than 5 million hectares of subcoastal land across New South Wales to Far North Queensland. It creates dense thickets that smother native vegetation, create hotter bushfires and have negatively impacted more than 1400 native species including endangered and threatened species. Thankfully, professional environmental land managers are at the forefront of the fight against invasive weeds like lantana and utilise a range of control methods, including the responsible use of #herbicides like #glyphosate. #Glyphosate not only plays a crucial role in controlling invasive weeds in various parts of Australia, but it is the only #herbicide known to manage and eradicate many of Australia’s worst weeds. Read more: https://ow.ly/prgP50TcbfH #Biodiversitymonth

The green crab (Carcinus maenas) is an invasive species causing significant ecological and economic problems, particularly in coastal ecosystems 🦀🐟🎏 Originally from Europe, it has spread to various regions, including North America and parts of Asia, primarily through ballast water from ships🦀🐟🎏 They are voracious predators that feed on clams, mussels, and small crustaceans, which threatens native species and disrupts marine ecosystems🦀🐟🎏 Their burrowing behavior also destabilizes eelgrass beds, crucial habitats for fish and other marine organisms. Economically, they impact shellfisheries by reducing populations of commercially important species, like clams and oysters🦀🐟🎏 Efforts to manage the green crab issue include trapping, population monitoring, and even exploring ways to use them for culinary purposes or in composting to reduce their numbers. However, controlling their spread remains a significant challenge🦀🐟🎏 #greencrab, #invasivespecies, #oceanconservation, #biodiversitythreat, #blueeconomy, #sustainablefisheries, #shellfishconservation,

🌿 **Why Servals Are Key to Biodiversity** 🌿 Did you know that servals play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of their ecosystems? As mid-sized predators, they: 🐾 Control populations of small mammals, birds, and insects, preventing overpopulation and habitat degradation. 🌍 Maintain balance in the food web, ensuring no single species dominates, which keeps biodiversity thriving. 🌱 Aid in seed dispersal and soil health, contributing to plant growth and a healthier environment. ⚠️ Serve as indicator species—healthy serval populations mean a healthy ecosystem! Let’s appreciate these incredible creatures and their role in keeping our planet diverse and vibrant! 🌟 #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation #Servals #BigCatRescue #Conservation #Wildlife #SavingWildlife #CaroleBaskin

It's #PollinatorWeek and the crisis facing our planet's insect populations, particularly pollinators, has never been more pressing. In the last three decades alone, we've witnessed an alarming 10% drop *per decade* in terrestrial insect numbers. With the iconic monarch butterfly now at risk, it underscores a state of emergency for biodiversity in Michigan and beyond. Hope for these important insects grows in the form of native plants - Our native plants are not just part of our heritage - they're a lifeline for our pollinators. Take the goldenrods, which are host to 135 different caterpillar species locally, or oak trees, which support more than 450. In contrast, most non-native plants support only a handful. These are not just statistics; it's a call to action. Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other insects play a crucial role in the health of our ecosystems, agriculture, and the food web. The co-evolution of pollinators with native plants shapes the complex and delicate relationships that sustain our environment. At Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, we're dedicated to nurturing these relationships by cultivating native habitats and educating on the importance of biodiversity. We hope you will join us in protecting and enhancing these habitats – for the pollinators, for biodiversity, and for a resilient future.