To Be a Water Protector: The Rise of the Wiindigoo Slayers

dominated by R.D. O utt and other farmers who overspray the elds.
is
days I have worked in the elds to the sound of crop dusters on both
Some
of me, and some days we have been over sprayed.
sides
eld, the non-sprayed eld, has insects in it. e rest do not. at’s the
My
nationally and internationally. A well-documented German study
norm
in the last 27 years, the ying insect biomass measured in protected
found
nature reserves declined an average of 76%, with an 82% drop
German
the midsummer season, when insect populations should be
during
18 Another study found that Germany experienced a 15% drop in its
thriving.
population over the last decade. 19 Clearly, an insect collapse also a ects
bird
birds who feed on them.
the
here we are, the land of 10,000 lakes and hopefully a gazillion sh. What
So,
was raised by an entomologist, a bug man. His name was Peter Westigard,
I
Norwegian by genetics, who worked on the insects of fruit trees. My father
a
to tell me that there were 800 million species of insects in the world
used
nothing could diminish the biomass of the insects. Now I wonder…
and
as we go dormant for the winter, I pose the question that Rachel
So,
brought forth some y years ago in her book Silent Spring. e epic
Carson
manifesto documented the detrimental e ects on the
environmental
of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Silent Spring was met
environment
erce opposition by chemical companies, but it spurred a reversal in
with
pesticide policy, led to a nationwide ban on for agricultural
national
and inspired an environmental movement that led to the creation of the
uses
Environmental Protection Agency. To be sure, Donald Trump’s
US
are unlikely to read this book.
appointees
am going to do my part to bring back those “pests,” a short-sighted term
I
has been misapplied. I will grow organically, plant for bees, and in the
which
I plan to launch my beekeeper career. A er all, the Bear Clan should
future,
began on January 1, 2018, in Maryland. Connecticut followed suit
pesticides
a er Maryland. 20 Maryland lost 60% of its bees in 2015. 21 It is time to
shortly
into the billion pounds of pesticides applied in the US annually and
look
out if all the killing is worth it. I remember Joni Mitchell lyrics, “You
gure
the sh going to eat if all the insects are gone, smart guys? What about all
are
our pollinators?
of
secure with honey.
be
rst US ban on sales of products containing the neonicotinoid class of
e