Love bugs

Years of living with my grandmother and countless hours spent in the garden gave me a true appreciation of and sense of wonderment about the natural world: plants, seasons and wildlife.

That included insects and their close relatives. We spent many an afternoon going through books to identify a caterpillar or beetle we had found earlier in the day.

Nowadays, when delivering my workshops on creating backyard habitat, I ask the question: how can we expect the next generation to care for the planet when we ourselves have lost our connection to nature?

Observation and curiosity are the keys to maintaining healthy natural ecosystems within our urban spaces. Be a backyard observer. Take the time to truly see what insect activity is going on in your location. The more there is, the healthier the habitat. Here are some summer favourites.

BUTTERFLY BEAUTY

Butterflies are loved for their noticeably vibrant and colourful wings. But the butterfly isn’t just a pretty face; it’s also an