The new generation is prospering
It is not silent in nature, but the sounds are different. The birds are not singing to attract each other, they are sounding to scare us away from their nests. There the youngsters are constantly whistling for more food. It is a busy time. Some birds already prepare for migrating southwards. For those who stay, it is all about eating and maybe also storage some for the harsher conditions. The days are long, the chlorophyll is pumping sun energy into the biosphere to feed all the newcomers. The flowers are stretching out their colorful petals to attract pollinators to their cups of sweet nectar. The pollen transportation system is the starting of new seeds and next summers display of flowers. Some seeds fill our baskets on the walk, blueberries, raspberries and wild strawberries. Let your youngsters enjoy together with all kids out there!
Wild strawberries in Norrtälje, Sweden. image courtesy: Kim Koblet
The meadows treasures
It is now they should be enjoyed in all their beauty – the meadows. A richness in biodiversity originating from centuries of human- nature interactions through small-scale farming in Sweden. The shrubs and grasses are kept away by grazing cattle or hay-making by hand or machines. This creates beautiful rolling landscapes with scattered trees and a tremendous richness in flowering herbs. Besides spring flora, July is the time when the flowers explode in colors, yellow, red, purple, white, blue, pink and everything in between. Sometimes as as 60 herbs can be found in one single square meter. Before this fed the cattle during late summers and in wintertime, today these lands are usually managed within nature conservation. August 7th it is the day of the meadows and many volunteers from the Swedish Society of Nature conservation are out hay-making. Until then the flowers are there to be enjoyed by us and their pollinators.
A Swedish meadow i July. image courtesy Sara Borgström
Become a gardener of the wild
Nature has reawoken and uses each second of light to grow after a long, cold and dark winter. If you have a garden why not try a new perspective? Instead of fighting unwanted nature in your plantings, send out invitations.
- Design and put up bird boxes in the trees. From your breakfast table you can follow the everyday life of the European blue tits. Some inspiration!
- Create a smörgåsbord for butterflies by sowing seeds of summer meadow herbs. How to get started!
- Wetlands are a deficit. If you are ambitious and a bit stubborn, why not create a pond where frogs and other amphibians can find a refuge?
- Don’t have a garden? Set up bird boxes or plant herbs in the green area you visit the most. Some people has even formed groups for “guerilla gardening” that aim to increase the diversity in urban green commons. Example from London.
A paradise for butterflies and other insects. image courtesy: Kim Koblet
Year of biodiversity: How many species are there?
During the last three years researchers have found 123 new species in the rain forests of Borneo, according to a report from WWF. It is simply amazing that despite all of the technological advances there are still new things to discover on our planet. In addition, the better the methods, the more fascinating the discoveries seem to become. These new species live in the most hostile environments and have developed amazing adaptations to survive. A rough estimation is that we share living space with approximately 8 million other species even if the scientists debate what a species really is and how many they are. Currently 2 million species have been described. However the discovery of new species has a hard time keeping pace with the extinction of species which to a great extent is related to human activities.
Pictures of some of the new species in Borneo
More on the work to protect biodiversity.
Map lichen, just one of millions. image courtesy: Sara Borgström
Spots of sunshine
One of the first herbs to appear in spring is the Coltsfoot (Tussilago or Hästhov in Swedish, Tussilago farfara in latin). Between the withered leaves and straws small yellow flowers appear as soon as the first snow is gone. The Swedish name translated as horse foot is related to the shape of the large leaves that appear later in the summer. In the past the leaves where used for brewing tea that was thought to mitigate cough. The Coltsfoot is a so-called pioneer species that is found on bare soil on construction sites. Very common, but still a much welcome sign of spring.
Coltsfoot
Light brings life
Currently the hours of daylight are increasing by 6 minutes each day at my latitudes and even if there has been a cold and snowy winter this year, the snow is disappearing at a fast speed. Furthermore, the sunlight is the driver of nature and hence tells all plants and animals that the spring is coming. In every tree branch, seed and hibernation life is coming back into motion. Being exposed to daylight is important for the production of vitamin D of importance for the creation of bone tissue in humans. In the Nordic countries all kids get extra vitamin D to compensate for the winter season when there are just a few, if any, hours of daylight. The Nordic people are now coming out from their winter nests, turning their faces towards the sun and greeting each other.
Spring sun in Stockholm. image courtesy: Sara Borgström
Stockholm – European Green Capital 2010
The European Green Capital is a city that leads the way to environmentally adapted urban life by presenting fulfilled environmental quality targets, continued engagement in environmental improvements and sustainable development. Stockholm is the first city to be appointed as the European Green Capital. Among other things this is because it has achieved a great reduction in CO2 emissions during the last decade and an ambitious integration of environmental issues in all municipality work.
Check out the European Green Capital 2010
Hammarby Sjöstad, the most environmentally friendly neighbourhoods in Stockholm? image courtesy: Sara Borgström
Celebrate or not? The International Year of Biodiversity
It is the International Year of Biodiversity and the UN encourages the world to reflect on achievements made so far as well as to change gear to safeguard the variety of life on earth. It is also the year when the 2010 Biodiversity Target in the Convention on Biological Diversity is to be fulfilled. This target, ratified by 150 nations, that by 2010 there is “a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth “. According to recent assessments we are far from reaching this target. In fact, most drivers of biodiversity loss are constant or even increasing. Biological diversity represent all genetic, species and landscape varieties and is declining 1000 times faster than the natural extinction rate. Hopefully this year will put new energy into the work for biodiversity.
Why care about biodiversity anyway? One answer is that nature, with all its variety, is necessary for human survival and well-being. Necessities like clean drinking water, food and medicines are provided by very complex systems of biodiversity interactions, the web of life if you like. The goods and services that nature provides humanity are also called ecosystem services. Read more at Nature @ your service in the right menu.
image courtesy: Sara Borgström
Time for solutions
Tired of researchers that just elaborate on problems but never dare to take sides or provide ideas on how to overcome them? In January 2010 the Solutions Journal launches with a web site already available. Here you can find an ideas lab for growing innovations and for presenting your own vision together with leading environmentalists.
Winter preparations
Winter is here. Still, in many places without below freezing temperatures, ice and snow. One might think that there is almost nothing going on in brown-grayish colored nature. But even if slowed down, nature is not resting. While some organisms prepare for winter others are preparing for spring.
- Help the birds that struggle for survival when it gets colder. Create a bird feeding place near where you live or on the way to school/work. This becomes a great spot for you to see many different species and also get a chance to observe their behaviour. Try to identify the birds and create a list of all species you have seen during the winter. Check out bird feeding practicalities.
- What is the “green stuff” covering stones, tree trunks and even walls? November is “happy hour” for moss. When nothing else is growing they enjoy the wet conditions and grow fast. Taking a closer look, you will find a great diversity of form. Some look like palm trees and others like lettuce. Which one is your favorite? Check out pictures of moss.
moss, image courtesy: Sara Borgström
- Become a phenologist. Many plants have already prepared for spring. Before they slow down and their green parts wither, they make sure that everything is set when the temperature rise and the days become longer. Phenologists observe signs of seasonal changes like bird migrations and the start of flowering. Start right now by looking closer at the tree branches and under the leaves.
Hazel, image courtesy: Sara Borgström