The Circle of Life

Plants, insects and birds. Pretty simple, it is that which occupies much of my time and thoughts. And as trite as it may now sound, it is all about the circle of life.

Insects generally bring positive thoughts to my mind, as where would we be without them? Brighter minds than mine have addressed this question, and the answer is- life as we know it would not exist. We need pollinators, birds and other higher orders need insects for the food web. Insects are truly the heroes in life, not the villains many portray them to be.

Kentucky's efforts to raise money and awareness to combat Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.

And it is all good until things get terribly out of balance, and generally man has his hand in that part. When insects are introduced where there is no predator to keep them in check- all bets are off. The ecosystem goes wonky and something is gonna die. In large portions of the Eastern U.S., it is our Eastern Hemlock trees. Hemlock woolly adelgid has only tipped into Ohio, but if it continues it will be devastating.

Hemlock trees are a keystone species. With their demise we will see huge impact in many other species, birds and fish, for starters. So keep your eyes peeled for the white-fuzzies in hemlock trees and report any findings to Ohio Division of Forestry, or even me.


Let's work together for early detection, and prevent wholesale losses of Eastern Hemlock in Ohio.