It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature

To follow up on my suggestion for a dedicated nature page once a month or more, I would like to elaborate recognizing that we live in a very unique ecosystem.

Have you ever wondered, what do the people who band hummingbirds at Mountain Springs Nature Retreat every year learn from their efforts? What have the people who count birds every year found in their count, are we gaining or losing species? How has the smoke pollution of the last five years affected the insect and bird species? When do the pelicans and swans fly through and where do they usually land when they stop over? What kinds of fish are in our local lakes? What indigenous land wisdom would the elders want to share with us? Are there really 400 species of wild bees in this area and what can we do to protect the variety and why should we? What were the results of the radon testing of homes in Summerland last year? What is happening with the butterfly population and how can the city and the individual gardener help them to survive and increase?

The City of Vancouver has created boulevard gardens planted with butterfly attracting flowers. What can we plant on our balconies and gardens to help feed ourselves if times get dicier as they have been for the last six months?

I would suspect the Okanagan has a gold mine of people who have acquired years of nature wisdom that they would be proud to share with all of us. What questions would you readers like to learn from them?

And one last thought.

What effect do you think the fireworks at midnight on New Years and Canada Day have on the sleeping bird population? Are we teaching our children to be sensitive to the local habitat if we adults are not?

I hope this sets forth a few more ideas for consideration.

Patricia Kristie

Penticton