Biodiversity: Our Insurance for a Healthy Future
Biodiversity is the variety of all life on earth. Each species is part of an ecosystem in a web of interconnected species that has evolved over millions of years. This complexity supplies everything that makes life on earth possible, including for us. When an ecosystem has a wide variety of interconnected species, we have resiliency and stability to changes such as weather and disease, providing insurance for the future of that ecosystem.
When a species is lost, we lose that stability.
Even the slightest impact on one organism can alter the lives of thousands of others, potentially collapsing the entire ecosystem. As part of the ecosystem, this has a huge impact on humans. Reports show that we have lost up to 69% of species populations since 1970! These damaged ecosystems do not have the same ability to store carbon, nor can they produce the services like clean water and air, food, medicine, and shelter we rely on.
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Learn more about why biodiversity is so important
Our work at Wolfe’s Neck Center
When we manage for biodiversity in agriculture, we are not only diversifying our crops and planting perennial buffers in our fields but nurturing a thriving ecosystem which benefits farmers and local ecology. Changing our haying practice to allow bobolinks to breed and fledge their young in the tall grass or leaving milkweed to grow for the monarch butterflies to lay their eggs on, are ways we have adapted our farming practices.
Bringing back biodiversity will take a shift from being extractive to being regenerative.
From large farms to our backyards and communities, efforts to save seeds and plant more native species, mow less, leave your leaves, plant for pollinators, stop using chemicals, and keeping habitats intact will help species survive in these challenging times.
The Cottrell Schepps Family Farm Discovery Gardens
In our Cottrell Schepps Family Farm Discovery Gardens, we highlight some of the Center’s ecosystems that foster biodiversity and benefit the humans who create them. Come play, learn, and explore.
The Wild Seed Project is one of Maine’s leaders in saving and sharing native seed. They are one of our partners in the Farm Discovery Gardens. Seed-grown native plants support biodiversity and a resilient ecosystem in which all forms of life can thrive. Check out our Community Seed Garden.