February saw a few sad reports published concerning pollinators numbers.
Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife published results from their 2022 Bugs Matter survey, showing a dramatic decrease in flying insect numbers in Kent. Sadly, the number of flying insects sampled on number plates has declined by a massive 74% since 2004, and an increase from last year’s decline of 72%. It is also higher than the average for the UK, which came in at a 64% national decline. Find the full report on the Kent Wildlife Trust website.
Also, Butterfly Conservation released their State of UK’s Butterflies 2022 report, which covers the whole of the UK. The report says that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s. Read the full report on the Butterfly Conservation website.
Both these reports show worrying declines in pollinator numbers, and a trend that cannot be allowed to continue.
Without pollinators such as flies, butterflies, and moths, many of our ecosystems could collapse, which would have disastrous consequences for us all.
