A Life & Death Matter: Earthworms, Bees, and Ladybugs
Last modified 1 week, 6 days ago.
Tonight I saw a ladybug on the wall of the bathroom.
I had a flashback to my Introductory Biology class in college. It was at some ungodly hour, like eight in the morning. But not once did I miss that class, though.
The professor, Dr. Heppner, showed us how interesting education and science could be. He really went above and beyond to make his class something special. He even road his motorcycle into the lecture hall once. (I'm not sure how he managed to get it there).
Every lecture was worth being at. But tonight, that ladybug reminded me of when he discussed war, endangered species, human beings, and how life on earth is sustained.
Human beings, he explained, do not support life the way some very-critical species do. If we disappeared, it wouldn't be nice, but the rest of life as we know it would get along just fine. (He said the same about a few other species, too, but I forget which ones).
He further explained that there are a few critters whose existence is a life-and-death matter for almost all other life on the planet. . .
Earthworms. Bees. Ladybugs.
Yup, those everyday creatures that we take for granted. Without them, life as we know it just wouldn't work on this planet, both for us and almost everything that's alive.
I love seeing them.
Earthworms make the soil viable for vegetation growth. Bees pollinate many plants. And the ladybug is Mother Nature's insecticide. Some countries, Dr. Heppner explained, depend on the ladybug to keep their crops healthy. Without them, he said, farms would fail, and soon, wars would break out. He called these circumstances "food wars."
I would have to dig deeper into this to really appreciate it. But I am grateful for the great teachers I've had, like Dr. Heppner. They gave me a reason to take pause and appreciate the wonders of everyday life.
I'll never look at a ladybug the same again.