【推荐1】An alarming scientific review has found human activity is driving insects to extinction. When the bottom of the food chain is endangered, so is everything up the chain, including people. Insect reductions threaten birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians (两栖动物)that eat insects, as well as many plants that require them for pollination(授粉). Insects are also important to soil health, nutrient recycling and ecosystem functioning.

Habitat loss from intensive agriculture and urbanization is the main cause of the reductions, according to the review “Worldwide reduction of insects： A review of its drivers”. Agricultural pesticide(杀虫剂)and fertilizer use, pathogens, invasive species and climate change are also major reasons.

A World Wildlife Fund study concluded that we’ve wiped out 60 percent of mammals, fish, birds and reptiles since 1970. Another study found people have destroyed 83 percent of wild mammals and half of all plants since the dawn of civilization. As frightening as that, the rate of insect extinction is eight times that of mammals, birds and reptiles. If these trends continue, most insects could be gone within a century, which will severely affect all life.

Some solutions can be carried out quickly and relatively easily, such as banning the worst pesticides, carrying out many available and emerging solutions to pollution and global warming, and examining better ways to grow, produce and distribute food. Sanchez-Bayo argues that changes in agricultural methods are extremely important, noting organic farms and farms that used limited pesticide amounts in the past had more insects. Research also shows organic farms maintain healthier soils, use less energy, send out fewer greenhouse gas emissions and produce higher yields than conventional farms, especially during droughts.

Many people are frightened at the thought of bites and stings by insects. But whatever you think of them, there’s no doubt that they’re essential to all life. If insects die out, we won’t survive. From banning destructive pesticides to reforming agricultural methods to planting insect- and pollinator-friendly gardens in urban areas, there’s much we can and must do to help the creatures survive and develop.

【推荐2】Nearly 700, 000 people have taken part in the world's largest wildlife survey, helping to count the numbers of wild birds in the UK. The Big Garden Birdwatch is organised every year by a charity called the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). It is a chance for people to record the birds that visit their garden, balcony or local green space. The survey gives the RSPB a snapshot of how different types of birds are doing, and whether their populations are going up or down.

This year more than 11 million birds were counted. The house sparrow was the most commonly-seen garden bird, with more than 1.7 million recorded sightings. However, despite hitting the top spot, its numbers are lower than in 2021.

There was a rise in greenfinch numbers, which gives hope that the species may be recovering from a big drop in population over the last 30 years, mainly caused by disease. The survey also showed that numbers of jay, a colourful member of the crow family, have increased by 73% compared to 2021.

Almost 60, 000 schoolchildren took part in the survey, which involved spending an hour in nature counting different types of birds. Wood pigeons were the most commonly spotted by schools, with an average of eight seen by the schools that took part. Blackbirds came a close second.

The Big Garden Birdwatch bas been running since 1979, providing valuable information on the welfare of the UK's wild birds for the last 43 years. The RSPB's chief executive officer. Rebecca Speight, said, “It's been brilliant to see so many people taking part this year, taking time out to watch and reconnect with birds.” she added. “Spring is amazing. Spring sees the return of nature's biggest music festival, the dawn chorus. Open your back door, a window or simply step outside and listen.”

【推荐3】For Christina and her team, planting trees isn’t the only goal. She hopes to employ residents, especially youth, to get their hands in the dirt and see how they can grow change.

Groundwork Bridgeport hired a team of youth and trained them to provide ongoing care for trees in the community (社区). They serve the neighborhoods where they live, monitoring the trees, providing basic care, and connecting with their neighbors. Their “patrolling” is improving each tree’s longevity while giving them valuable experience and a good payment.

“We’re using data and technology to be able to find even down to the specific city block of where trees are needed the most,” said Amy Lester, Ventures Project Coordinator, Arbor Day Foundation. With a NatureQuant NatureScore® of 10, the east Bridgeport neighborhood was flagged as desperately needing trees. NatureQuant is a tech and research company that helps the Arbor Day Foundation determine where trees are needed most in urban spaces.

The most recent program that happened in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation was a tree giveaway. Fifty trees were given to residents of the neighborhood identified by NatureQuant.

Residents showed their support for the effort by coming out in full force. They know what the trees mean to their community, to their health, to the next generation of those growing up in east Bridgeport.

【推荐2】Researchers are working to take some of the pain out of studying the feeding behavior of mosquitoes. The insects’ bites can spread diseases, but setting up experiments to examine their behavior can take a big bite out of lab budgets (预算).

“Many mosquito experiments still depend on human volunteers and animal subjects,” says Kevin Janson, a graduate student in bioengineering at Rice University and lead co-author of a study in Frontiers. Live subject testing can be expensive, and Janson says the “data can take many hours to process”.

So he and his co-authors found a way to automate (使自动化)the collection and processing of that data using inexpensive cameras and machine-learning software. Instead of using live volunteers, their system uses skins made with a 3D printer. Each piece has tiny passageways that can be filled with flowing blood.

For feeding tests, as many as six pieces of the skins can be placed in a plastic box about the size of a volleyball. The box is surrounded with cameras that point at each piece of skin. Mosquitoes go in the box, and the cameras record how often they land at each location, how long they stay, whether or not they bite, how long they feed, etc.

Researchers in the laboratory of Dawn Wesson, a professor of tropical medicine at Tulane University, tested the system. Wesson’s research group has facilities for breeding and testing large populations of mosquitoes of varying species. In the study, Wesson, Janson and co-authors used the system to examine the effectiveness of existing two mosquito repellents (驱蚊剂). Tests showed mosquitoes readily fed on skins without any repellent and stayed away from skins coated with either repellent.

“The system provides a consistent and controlled method of observation. It could also open the door for testing in labs that couldn’t previously afford it,” Wesson says. “The hope is that researchers will be able to use that to identify ways to prevent the spread of disease in the future.”