My activist friends 🌎

Often talk about how the woods is empty of wildlife, pollinators, bugs and native species. They bemoan all that is lost and all that has changed. They remember the good old days of yore. All they see is what has been lost, the plant and animal diseases and what is lost.

Has a lot been lost? Yes. But in some ways it strikes me as an exaggeration based on the urban environmentalist who rarely leaves the city for the woods. Invasives and introduced species are everywhere but also many native species continue to thrive.

There are still a lot of birds and bugs out there. The forests are full of diverse wildlife if you only look. You drive out in the country and your windshield will still be covered with bug splatter and the right time of year you’ll be still swatting black flies, no see ums and black flies.