A short extract from my new book: Silent Earth, Averting the Insect Apocalypse

[@marilynpeddle7659]

I’ve spent the lockdown and this year getting to know and photograph the insect life close to home. It has made me appreciate the variety and their importance.

[@juliacheetham6854]

Such a brilliant and necessary book. Thank you Dave Goulson! ❤

[@imranmalikvirgo]

it seems to be a good book after silent spring

[@JBNat]

Great little excerpt Dave! Really important topic.

[@tarbaris]

💯👏👏 following your advice, i am designing my backyard to be insect friendly. No pesticides & lots of wild flowers.

[@paulrichards2365]

True about the lack of insects, even here on Australian country roads. I used to put 'Bug' cleaner in my car window wash.

[@kennethgreen2829]

I have just managed to order this in hardcover, can not wait to read it. Every book of Dave's that I own is a gem.

[@jxarthur]

Reading your book this morning in Tennessee. We are doing what we can. We have a huge butterfly and pollinator garden, but hardly any butterflies came this year.

[@davegoulson6831]

Sorry to hear, but do not give up!

[@moniqueamponsah5229]

Such a beautifully written and important book. Not quite finished with it yet. I have just finished the " A view of the future " chapter, which brought me to tears. Thank you ❤

[@jxarthur]

The section on "Shifting Baselines" clarified a lot for me. That concept would be worthy of a video.

[@FrDi6971]

Thanks a lot. Take care, best regards from Germany

[@davegoulson6831]

Thank you too!

[@greensphere]

Yet another absolutely wonderful book from you that everyone should read. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge, your passion for the natural world and commitment to bringing about much needed change to help save our world. Warm wishes. Martin Thomas. p.s. I love the way you’re distracted by the insect life around you during the reading. I’m exactly the same!

[@davegoulson6831]

My pleasure!

[@keithconklin5783]

Thank you for this book.

[@jessietang3433]

Actually when I bought the book I didn't notice the subtitle "averting the insect apocalypse"--I thought it was about interesting facts of insects. I like insects very much. When I was a child I read Fabre's Souvenirs Entomoloqiues and was amazed by the world of insects. I collected catepillars, ants, bees and grasshoppers, and observed them. My biggest wish at that time was to see my catepillars turn into butterflies (Unfortunately they all died not long after). Last year my brother and I accidently got some silkworms. We watched them turn into soft yellow pupa and then white moths (it is a big pleasure for quarantine). As I grow up I see fewer insects, but I assume it is because I am living in cities while insects are more abundant in suburbs. It is astonishing when I read that insects disappear in such a fast rate. I think one good thing is that now most people are aware of the harm of pesticide, global warming, fertiliser and invasive species. However, people do not react becuase they think decline of insects or biodiversity is far from their living. In other words the emergency is underestimated. I was so frustrated when I read Part IV. I was thinking:" I would rather die early, in 2030s, to avoid the disastrous life in the following years." Hopefully this will not be ture. I really appreciate Part V. The suggestions are practical and thoughtful. They should be heard and seen by more to really make an influence.

[@davegoulson6831]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it, important thing is to do what you can to help!

[@suewright1299]

Such a very sad state of our world and all its precious insects. I won’t give up doing all I can! An extremely informative book Dave, one we all need to read…quickly! It might sound a stupid question, but I’ll ask it anyway as I don’t know the answer; is there a reason why shops can’t be stopped from selling pesticides Dave? That question has bugged me for years, and personally I just can’t see a reason… neither can the insects who, I’m sure, await your answer with bated breath. Another brilliant book that will certainly come in our house and be read thoroughly.

[@davegoulson6831]

Stopping the sale of pesticides would require a change in the law - only govt can do that. I can't see much likelihood with our current politicians.

[@suewright1299]

@@davegoulson6831 Point most certainly taken, Dave, though a very sad shame

[@patrickturnbull8811]

Enjoyed this (especially the pauses for observing nature) and I will buy the book. Have now got borage, phacelia, viper's bugloss etc. in back my garden as a result of your 'recommended for bees' list. A fan of your work but not a fan of your waistcoats :)

[@flowerfairy1950]

While we gardeners do our little bit it seems hopeless when the majority of farmers/food industry are so irresponsible and uncaring. I believe the home/balcony gardeners have been doing their little bits for some years now but one feels one is pushing the proverbial up the hill. It is difficult to not feel despondent.

[@NatureWorksGarden]

Everything we do as gardeners *does* make a difference, however small. And yes, we need systemic change as well!

[@Sköldpadda-77]

I feel the hopelessness of it all as well. My little 1.5 acres here in the US is teaming with life and I continue to stock it with new local native plants but all around me is monocrop farm and field and lawn. The local garden center even sells traps to kill carpenter bees. Roadsides littered with garbage, little to no recycling, roadkill a plenty and new bulldozed developments spread out like an aggressive tumor. Anything I do now I know will only be mowed down or paved over after my death, or sooner if my neighbors turn the city bureaucracy on me. It’s a wonder I can drag my sad self out of bed some days. It is nice to know I’m not alone but those like us are spread to thinly to make much difference, I’m afraid.

[@flowerfairy1950]

@@Sköldpadda-77 I don't know what to say. So sad abd depressing. All we can do is give what support we can while we are alive. Dave Goulson must be very depressed but he doesn't give up. Stay strong for the 🐝🌻🦋🦜🐞

[@davegoulson6831]

Giving up is not an option! If we do then disaster is certain.

[@flowerfairy1950]

@@davegoulson6831 I know and keep soldiering. 🐝🐞🦋🦜

[@edongoogle8290]

? Please any idea, Dave, how to rewild a garden whilst discouraging rats? Our neighbours have rats and adamantly say that our 'untidy' garden is to blame. The Garden Jungle doesn't cover the topic from my reading anyhow.

[@flowerpixel]

Fireflies are going extinct too 😞

[@davegoulson6831]

I wish we had those!

[@MultimediaIreland]

It's all very depressing.

[@hgodfrey]

One thing I can’t understand is why populations have crashed since the 90s. We had light pollution, modern farming and pesticides then, and in Europe more land has been abandoned and gone wild since. The only thing I can think of that has changed significantly since the 90s is that we now cover the earth in mobile phone masts. Somehow the Balkans seem immune to this. There were bees and butterflies all over Montenegro.

[@davegoulson6831]

In the UK the number of pesticide applications has gone up 70% since 1990. Light pollution increases by about 2% each year. A lot else has changed -so it is hard to unravel cause and effect. Must go to Montenegro!

[@magdalenabarczyk775]

Chciałabym przeczytać tę książkę po polsku!

[@pauldurkee4764]

Insecticides should be banned from being used in the garden, it would mean gardeners will just have to be more active and encourage more natural controls. As for intensive agriculture, I think the human race consumes too much food anyway, and much of it is poor quality and detrimental to our health.