Biodiversity commandments

Ance

Our garden is one of the few connections we still have with the natural environment. Ance’s project encourages us to nourish it. Her guideline for a garden with a well functioning ecosystem is gathered in the eight Commandments of Biodiversity. It’s not about having a perfectly neat lawn, but rather letting what grows flourish as it pleases. Following the eight direction transforms a garden into an environment providing shelter, food, and nectar to small animals, birds and insects. Nurturing the ecosystems by leaving reasonable amounts of wildlife in our garden would trigger a change restoring our connection to the local species of birds, bees, butterflies and flowers. For following the Commandments of Biodiversity, residents of Drenthe province would receive a Biodiversity Medal form the nature reserves. Just like the colonists were honored with medals for cultivating the land 200 years ago.

A recent study, by Radbound University showed that 76 percent of the insects have disappeared in the past 27 years. It is a dramatic impact for the current situation where biodiversity is steadily decreasing since the last 100 years. There is an urgent need for understanding and acknowledging biodiversity.