The cicada is a well-known Australian insect which announces summer. (Photo: Creative Commons)
Story by Gabiann Marin
There is an army of hard-working environmental warriors all around us: in soil, on plants, in the air and in the water. Insects are our hidden allies. They protect, develop and maintain our natural environments, and yet their contribution is so often misunderstood, ignored or actively maligned.
Key Points:
Healthy soils and abundant gardens rely on a diversity of insects.
Broad spectrum pesticides eradicate all beneficial insects as well as having a negative and even deadly effect on other creatures.
Dr Kate Umbers and the organisation Invertebrates Australia are working to help educate communities to eradicate pesticides and appreciate insects and their contributions to human and environmental health.
You can have a thriving, beautiful garden, without pesticides, by simply restoring your garden’s natural balance.
Sure, no one likes to get a mozzie bite, and the idea of having a tick on us might make many people shiver in disgust: but each and every insect in our environment has an important purpose, even if we can’t see it.
Springwood resident Dr Kate Umbers, Senior Lecturer in Zoology at Western Sydney University, is someone who does see the magic and beauty in our invertebrates, dedicating her life to studying and helping to conserve them.
Australian Christmas Beetles have suffered declines in recent years. (Photo courtesy Invertebrates Australia)
“I am very lucky to live in the Blue Mountains,” Kate says, “because it’s an absolute refugium in a wasteland of urban sprawl to the east, and agricultural intensification to the west. A little green sanctuary; little relative to the size of Australia, but it’s a relatively large patch overall. Probably there are species of insect here that are nowhere else. But you know, nobody knows, because we just haven’t spent enough time looking at insects in general. But I think the Blue Mountains are like a representative of what diversity would have existed across all of Sydney if we had kept it more in its natural state.”
Dr Kate Umbers wants to help change the way we think about insects in our gardens (Photo courtesy Dr Kate Umbers)
Although Kate has a doctorate in Zoology, she quickly began specialising in invertebrates, particularly insects, because, as she herself states, “That’s where all the real discoveries can be found.”
Indeed, despite making up the vast majority of animal life on earth, insects are poorly researched and remain somewhat misunderstood more generally, particularly in the public sphere.
“In Australia, there are probably about 300,000 different species of insect but only about 100,000 of those even have a formal description. So we don’t even know what is out there.” Dr Umbers sighs as she explains that her own research has had to shift from looking at the macro populations to focus on those insects which are in most need of protection. “I’ve started just focusing on species conservation and wondering which ones are in the most trouble. And how we can motivate people to care about them.”
Invertebrates make up a staggering 95% of animal species on Earth. If we only focus on recording observations of birds and mammals, or even reptiles, or frogs, we only get the picture that represents 5% of all animals. And that means that we’re probably not thinking about insects and insect conservation in a way that is likely to lead to good outcomes for all animals, including humans.
Recent interest in bee colony conservation has helped change the way we view insects more generally (Photo: Creative Commons)
Insects in decline
Recently, information about bee colony collapses and the decline of Christmas beetle numbers in Australia have started to make news and there is more interest in doing something to help these animals, but Kate believes that focusing just on one species will not solve the bigger problems that insect declines could cause.
All species of insects have a key role in the health of our planet, providing invaluable assistance in everything from pollination of flowers and aerating and maintaining healthy soil, to eradicating waste and litter in the natural environment; and of course, providing an important food source for other animals in the food chain.
Natural waste removers
Insects are natural waste removers and could be a huge ally in confronting the current problem of ever-increasing organic waste. Backyard worm farms and compost bins have been providing individual household solutions for decades, but it has now been shown that insects are able to deal with industrial and community waste issues.
Fly larvae can eat high levels of organic waste. These maggots can eat through waste in specially designed containers before developing into adult black soldier flies.
The black soldier fly larvae convert organic waste into high-quality nutrients for pet foods, fish and poultry feeds, without any emission creation. Once the fly has matured through its own lifecycle it is added to the highly nutrient rich soil by-product which nourishes plants and gardens. It’s an elegant and effective idea. Find out more here.
Black Soldier Fly Larvae are amazing organic waste managers and are starting to be utilised in large waste reduction projects. (Photo: Creative Commons)
The problem with pesticides
Insects get a lot of bad press. Even as the world is starting to understand the importance of thriving bee populations, the idea that most other insects are simply pests continues to dominate our thinking, leading to some truly concerning household and industrial responses to their existence: including mass use of broad spectrum pesticides.
Broad spectrum pesticides don’t discriminate, killing every insect that may visit your garden, which ironically can lead to an increase in the less beneficial insects like flies, mozzies and cockroaches. This is because the best way to keep insects in check is to have a healthy balanced garden ecosystem where the insects, birdlife and mammals all work together to create a system which is beneficial to all animals and plant species.
Dead crayfish found after the bifenthrin contamination at a tributary to Hazelbrook Creek, 2023. (Photo: Amy St Lawrence)
To try and help promote the reduction and ultimate eradication of broad spectrum insecticides, Kate and her colleagues at Invertebrates Australia have developed the No Spray Spring initative. “Every year we run a campaign that helps educate everyone about the negative effects of pesticides, and promotes more natural and healthier alternatives to spraying,” Kate explains.
Getting people to give up their pesticides has proven tricky, as the major challenge to promoting insect conservation is the highly developed instinct by most to equate insects with something negative, dirty or dangerous.
“Most people don’t think about it, they just react. Whether it’s, ‘I don’t want it on me’, ‘I don’t want it in my house, or in my garden’, people determine good and bad insects in ways they don’t with other animal types.” But the whole idea of good and bad bugs is probably a bit misguided, Kate suggests, “as every insect has a necessary role in the ecosystem.”
The 5 minute pet
One cool concept Kate has suggested to try and combat this instinctive negative reaction is to think of insects not as invaders to the home or garden, but as what Kate calls “The 5 minute pet”. The idea is when you encounter an insect, instead of trying to kill it, allow yourself to watch it for a few minutes.
Watching insects in our surroundings and thinking of them as our ‘5 minute pets’ can help remove the prejudice we often feel against them. (Photo: Creative Commons)
“Just sit to see what it does,” Kate suggests. “It doesn’t have to be five minutes, but just sit with it for even 30 seconds or a minute. It’s the same as sitting with any anxiety really, to try to pull that reactivity down. Gather some real data about how the world works around you. These insects aren’t out to get you. They are just doing their thing, hanging out, and probably doing you a service you didn’t even realise they were doing.”
Insects as wildlife
The 5 minute pet isn’t the only way to develop your appreciation for the insects around you. Remember how exciting it is to have a lorikeet or a koala visit your garden. Sharing your space with a wild animal is an amazing experience. Well, insects are wildlife too. Having a native bee buzzing around the lilly pilly or a brightly coloured butterfly fluttering through the vegetable garden can be an extraordinary and simple way to connect with nature.
“Try to reframe insects as wild animals, wildlife, you know, not pests and bugs, not infiltrating your world, but visiting you in your garden; giving you a wonderful opportunity to see a wild creature in its natural habitat,” Kate suggests.
Dr Umbers reminds us that having wildlife in our gardens is a wonderful gift, and insects are wildlife just like possums, wallabies or turtles. (Photo: Creative Commons)
By normalising the existence of insects around us, we are less likely to automatically react with a negative response. We could start to appreciate the joys of sitting and having a cup of coffee and watching a butterfly visit a flower and maybe begin to understand that our desire for a perfectly manicured garden isn’t a justification for the significant damage to biodiversity pesticides are causing.
“By appreciating the role and importance of every insect in our garden we might be willing to say, well, you know, maybe I won’t get 2 kilos of tomatoes this year, maybe I’ll get 1.8 kilos, but I’ll be maintaining the biodiversity of not just my garden but the whole of the National Park where I love to live. So maybe that’s a pretty good trade-off,“ Kate suggests.
Jewel Beetles are like works of art in the garden. (Photo: Creative Commons)
Take Action:
Eradicate the use of insecticides, particularly one-spray-kills-all broad spectrum pesticides. If you want to have a thriving beautiful garden, this can be achieved without pesticides, simply by allowing the natural balance to come back. If you must use any, limit the use to small amounts carefully directed in specific areas.
Use natural barriers rather than insecticides. Food crops and flowers can be protected through nettings or natural barriers, such as egg shells or coffee grounds at the stems of plants to stop snails, caterpillars and other insects from eating your plants.
Plant a diversity of flowers. All insects benefit from an array of flowers. Native is the best option but any flowering plant will provide food for a variety of pollinators and beneficial insects. Having flowers that bloom across different seasons will help sustain hoverflies and other insects who are active in the colder months.
Create natural garden areas. Lawns are insect deserts and also soak up a huge amount of water, so keeping them to a minimum will save you money and help support native insects and other animals. Keeping parts of your garden as natural as possible will provide food and shelter for insects and help them flourish.
Allow leaf litter and fallen branches to remain on the ground to provide habitat.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Learn how to incorporate meditation and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction into your life at our Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on Sat 28 Feb. Experience a short interactive mindfulness activity led by Betty Ramsay, physio and health coach at The University of Sydney. She has years of experience working with people who are living with life stresses including caring roles, work demands, pain, chronic illness, depression, and anxiety. Reserve your spot for this inspiring and free event here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Thought about doing yoga but never tried it? Join Sheila Annis from Mountain Mist Yoga in Woodford to experience how this rich and vast practice can lead you on a path to better health, and can even be practised from a chair! Reserve your spot for the Chair Yoga session on Sat 28 Feb at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend in Katoomba here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Learn more about Mountain Mist Yoga here: https://mountainmistyoga.com/
Join multi-award-winning photographer Sue Lightfoot at the Planetary Health Wellness weekend on Sat 28 Feb as she shares how taking up photography to manage her mental health after PTSD has opened up a life filled with creativity, compassion and consciousness. Living a creative life has expanded to include creating permaculture gardens from recycled materials and finding multiple ways to give back to the community. Through creativity she has learnt "to see and feel the world, to live with awe and wonder, to change lenses, shift [her] focus and embrace all forms of light … to enjoy nature and mother earth and accept we are all connected.” She’s been inspired by Miksang, Tibetan for “good eye”, which is a form of contemplative photography that is about seeing and photographing the world exactly as it is, rather than how we want it to be, focusing on colour, light, texture, and pattern. Her session is free but reserve your place here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Learn more about Sue and her work here: www.suelightfoot.com
We are Nature, and the more intimately we connect with the living world around us, the more alive we are. Hone your observations and connect more deeply in an inspiring nature journalling workshop led by Anna Barnes from @ArtFoodCultureNature on Saturday 28 February at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
“When we see with clear eyes, we know that we are surrounded by beauty. Let yourself fall in love with your life by paying attention”. John Muir Laws
How can we engage our hearing to connect more deeply to nature around us? Join us at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on 28 February and 1st March to hear from one of the most inspiring and engaging presenters we’ve ever had at the Planetary Health Centre. Author and acoustic ecologist Andrew Skeoch will guide us into hearing the languages of nature. Learn how we can develop our auditory awareness, identify species by ear, recognise behaviours and repertoire, and find empathy with the voices of other beings. Andrew’s presentations are an immersive weaving of evocative recordings, fascinating spectrogram analysis and original ideas. You’ll hear the natural environment around you in a whole new way. Each morning at the Wellness Weekend Andrew will also lead Deep Listening Immersive Field Workshops demonstrating how to increase your sensitive auditory perceptions of the extraordinary natural world around us. Tickets available here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
This event has been made possible because of the generous support of Greater Blue Mountains Rotary and the Katoomba and Upper Blue Mountains Bendigo Community Bank.
We are looking forward to this (Em)power(ing) tools presentation being delivered by Robyn Catchlove, Sherlie McMillan, Suzie van Opdorp and Teja Brooks Pribac at our Planetary Health Day on Sat 28 Feb. It`s free but you need to register to attend here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
This interactive presentation explores an unexpected but deeply empowering practice: using power tools. With the help of co-presenters and their favourite tools, the session demystifies DIY and shows how accessible practical skills really are. Beyond the satisfaction of building and repairing, working with power tools fosters confidence, patience, and problem-solving skills. It can also be financially empowering, reducing dependence on paid labour, and reinforces the belief that challenges—practical and personal alike—can be worked through with focus, persistence, and curiosity. This session invites participants to reconsider what empowerment can look like, and how hands-on making can translate into resilience in everyday life.
It`s one of many events during our Planetary Health Wellness Weekend at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on 28 Feb and 1 March and has been organised in collaboration with Rotarians 4 Planetary Health and Greater Blue Mountains Rotary
Medicine and healthcare is changing. Join Dr Madhu Tamilarasan, a Lithgow based GP and sports medicine doctor on Sat 28 Feb at our Planetary Health Day and Wellness Weekend, for a conversation about Lifestyle Medicine. The tagline for her practice is "General practice done differently". The practice is encouraging physical activity in the community because research clearly shows that going from no exercise to just 10 minutes of physical activity per day is where the biggest health benefits come from. Any patient who attends an appointment by "active transport" - such as walking, running, cycling - instead of by motorised transport, receives a small discount on their consultation fee that day. Lifestyle medicine focuses on treating the root causes of disease rather than just managing symptoms. Register here to attend Dr Tamilarasan`s session to learn more about its benefits for individuals, community and globally (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Places are booking out quickly for the inspiring talks and workshops at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend in Katoomba on Sat 28 Feb and Sun 1 March. View the full program and register to attend here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Each morning, you have the chance to join Andrew Skeoch, renowned wildlife sound recordist and author of `Deep Listening to Nature`, for an immersive workshop and walk to hear the intricate conversations happening in the natural world around us.
There will also be: • nature journalling • mindfulness • creativity • (Em)power(ing) tools • Ikebana • Shared Reading • Tai Chi and Qigong • Chair Yoga • Mental Health First Aid • exercise, sleep and your health • how to share loss and grieving for and with animals • and a celebration of the many faith-based groups in the Blue Mountains focused on healing our land, healing ourselves.
A huge thank you to Greater Blue Mountains Rotary and Katoomba and Upper Blue Mountains Bendigo Community Bank for sponsoring this wonderful weekend.
We’d love you to join the Planetary Health Centre for an inspiring Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1st March in Katoomba! We’ve collaborated with Rotarians 4 Planetary Health (part of Greater Blue Mountains Rotary) and the Blue Mountains Interfaith Group, to create a program focused on the many ways we can improve our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health in a weekend of community and nature connection, talks, workshops, stalls and delicious food.
The weekend kicks off with our third Planetary Health Day on Saturday and finishes with an Interfaith Gathering on Sunday.
Each morning, you have the chance to join Andrew Skeoch, renowned wildlife sound recordist and author of `Deep Listening to Nature`, for an immersive workshop and walk to hear the intricate conversations happening in the natural world around us.
View the full program and register to attend here (link in profile):
• Deep Listening immersive field workshops • Mental Health First Aid • nature journalling • mindfulness • creativity • (Em)power(ing) tools • Ikebana • Shared Reading • Tai Chi and Qigong • Chair Yoga • exercise, sleep and your health • how to share loss and grieving for and with animals • and a celebration of the many faith-based groups in the Blue Mountains focused on healing our land, healing ourselves.
A huge thank you to Greater Blue Mountains Rotary and Katoomba and Upper Blue Mountains Bendigo Community Bank for sponsoring this wonderful weekend.
We had a thoroughly enjoyable final Skill Share Saturday for the year yesterday with Qigong, Fashion Upcycling, Seed Saving and Bushcare! We shared seeds from local gardens and harvested carrots, as well as Mizuna, Broad Bean, Daikon and Land Cress seeds from the Planetary Health garden. We then packaged up (and shared) our first Upper Mountains Seed Savers packs for our fledgling Seed Bank. In Bushcare it`s very exciting to see whole new areas of the Planetary Health Precinct open up as we remove invasive weeds. It`s been a year of great progress as we`ve restored habitat for wildlife and given local native plants the opportunity to flourish and re-establish on the site.
Join the Planetary Health Centre this Sat 6 Dec for the last Skill Share Saturday of the year: Qigong at 9am, Seed Saving & Gardening Group at 10am, and Bushcare at 1.30pm. One perfect day with great company, great coffee and food, and great steps for living a healthy balanced life, while also contributing to the health of our planet for present and future generations. All ages welcome!
Registration links in profile and below.
Register for Qigong here: https://bit.ly/48wlHjD Register for Seed Saving & Gardening here: https://bit.ly/4prcRe7 Register for Bushcare here: https://bit.ly/4oAFDrz
We have a rare opportunity to learn about the newest and best possible ways to support family and community members struggling with mental health issues, at a free talk and afternoon tea provided by Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise Rotary at the Planetary Health Centre at 2pm this Saturday 29 Nov. Hear from Peter Joseph AM, Chair of the Black Dog Institute, and Professor Helen Christensen AO, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and former Executive Director and Chief Scientist at the Black Dog Institute. They`ll be in conversation with journalist Emma Rossi. Dr Christensen is a pioneer in using the internet to reach young people struggling with depression. Her digital mental health interventions are used by millions globally, delivering evidence-based therapy for depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention. Her research uses data from smartphones and wearables – like movement, screen use, and sleep – to detect early signs of mental health issues. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4oOnYxz
Gabiann has worked as in-house writer/editor for Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Médecins Sans Frontières across Australia, Africa and the Asia Pacific. She is an award winning novelist and children’s book author, having won or been shortlisted for several Australian and international writing prizes. She was one of the key designers and the writer of the award-winning multimedia interactive narrative, Kids Together Now, which focuses on helping children deal with issues around bullying and racism.
In addition to her role as storyteller for the Planetary Health Initiative, she tutors in narrative and writing at Macquarie University and works as a writer, story developer and script producer.
Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre will host the Disaster Risk Awareness Expo and Family Day on Saturday, 22 November, offering a fun and informative day focused on building safer, healthier and more resilient communities.
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