When I last saw Robert Michael Pyle before he “unplugged” from the Internet to embark upon the first Butterfly Big Year, he gave me a copy of Orion magazine in hope that I would subscribe and the advice to enroll as a member in the Xerces Society. I did both and have been greatly intellectually enriched as a result. For any not familiar with the Xerces Society, it is an international organization, founded in 1971 and still headquartered in Portland Oregon, dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates. Why conserve invertebrates? The Society’s own words express it best:
Invertebrates eclipse all other forms of life on earth by sheer numbers and diversity. Whether measured in terms of biomass or species, invertebrates constitute 90 to 95 percent of animal life on earth. […] The interactions of invertebrates form the biological foundation of all ecosystems: invertebrates cycle nutrients, pollinate crops and other plants, disperse seeds, maintain soil structure and fertility, exert control over populations of other organisms, and provide a major food source.
Quite honestly, I didn’t really give a whole lot of thought to invertebrates until I joined the Society; now I see them in an entirely new light. Part of this increase in awareness of the various conservation issues affecting invertebrates has derived from my reading of the magazine that accompanies my membership – Wings.
This present issue addresses conservation in urban and “extreme use” environments. From Kevin Matteson’s reflections on pursuing entomological studies in the heart of New York City to Travis Longcore and Catherine Rich’s overview of conservation projects underway and even dependent upon the areas immediately surrounding heavy industrial operations, one’s perspective of how conservation of species can be and is being practiced will be greatly expanded the the articles in this present issue.
Written for a general audience but never shying away from complex material when it is important to convey the essential message or details of the subject under discussion, Wings is a must read for all with an interest in expanding their understanding of conservation to encompass creatures most of us, indeed even more than a few naturalists, take for granted in the course of daily life.
Peace and good bird (or invertebrate, as the case may be) watching.
