JAMAL EDWARDS MBE
In our series about people with a passion for a species, we ask online music platform founder Jamal Edwards about the black garden ant.
Entrepreneur Jamal shares his love of the black garden ant, and nature in general. “My passion for wildlife laid the foundations of an amazing film-making career,” he says.
Why champion the black garden ant?
When I was young, I was obsessed with the films Antz and A Bug’s Life – they really inspired me. I would watch the insects in my own garden and was fascinated by how sociable and industrious they were. Did you know there can be as many as 15,000 black garden ants in a single colony? This familiar and abundant species is common in many habitats, with nests often forming under paving stones, in soil and between brickwork.
What else have you learnt about the species?
When adults find a food source, they leave a trail of pheromones back to the nest for others to follow. The black garden ant’s diet is varied but it includes ‘milking’ aphids for their honeydew. In July and August, winged males and females emerge for mating f lights – after this, the males die and the females shed their wings to seek suitable nest sites.
How has a passion for wildlife influenced your career?
When I got my first camera, I would go out into my garden and try to film and photograph any animals I could see. My enthusiasm for the natural world enabled me to better understand how the camera functioned as I experimented with angles and lighting to achieve the best footage. I continued to use these skills when I started recording my friends, which led to launching my online music platform. My passion for wildlife laid the foundations of an amazing filmmaking career.
“I would go into my garden and try to film and photograph any animals I could see. ”
Why should we welcome wildlife into our gardens?
The State of Nature 2019 report showed 41 per cent of species studied have declined since 1970. We need to do more to preserve existing wildlife habitat to enable plants and animals to thrive, starting with our gardens. I’ve left certain areas of my garden alone to grow wild and have installed a bug hotel made of recycled materials and natural debris. These simple changes can make a big difference to wildlife.
Why did you recently team up with Chris Packham?
The National Lottery celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019. To mark the occasion, and its contribution to nature, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust and RSPB joined forces to create a list of 10 easy ways people can help wildlife [bit.ly/3bcZ7hp]. I met up with Chris Packham and a group of participants at Woodberry Wetlands in Hackney to put some of the advice into practice. I wanted to learn more about what I can do to have a positive impact.
How can young people in urban areas get involved with wildlife conservation?
They just need to roll up their sleeves and go out into their gardens or nearby outdoor area. If you live in London, charity Keeping It Wild runs activities across the capital, which empower young people to conserve and enjoy wild spaces. We need to do our bit to ensure we don’t lose the nature we have on our doorstep!
JAMAL EDWARDS MBE is an entrepreneur and founder of SB.TV. In 2019, he set up Delve, a project aimed at refurbishing and reopening youth centres.