Northern Dune Tiger Beetles – Natural Kingdom: Wild Walls

By Monica Kaur Bhatia and Bred Beckett

Natural Kingdom: Wild Walls are a series of wildlife and nature murals in cities and towns across the UK. These murals represent our collective concern about the loss of wildlife and climate change in the UK, and internationally. Working with communities, young people, partners, and artists up and down the country we will be highlighting the importance of nature, especially for fighting climate change. The murals will be created between now and the end of September and will be accompanied by lots of political and community activity in the run up to COP26 . 

Find me here: Grafton Street, Toxteth, Liverpool L8 5XJ

A little introduction 

Small and subtle, the northern dune tiger beetle is a hidden gem when it comes to the UK’s ecological build up. These invertebrates are full of surprises and go about their lives in such an exciting way, so I thought what better way to get to know these little legends than by spending a day with these incredible tiger beetles! 

Some background

For a little bit of background, northern dune tiger beetles definitely hold some cool titles on the UK wildlife scene; they are actually quite rare found in only a few places across the west coast, and exert so many beautiful intricacies, whether it’s their bright red wings, or their hidden iridescent green underside – do you see what I mean about them quite literally being hidden beauties? Along with these physical features, the beetles hold some serious skills for an insect only 2cm in length – they are thought to be one of the fastest beetles in the whole world, rocketing at speeds of 2.5 metres/second!

To put these nifty skills such as super-speed to good use however, it is fundamental that these insects are given the habitat they need to thrive – they are fussy little things, and so the temperature, along with hiding places, egg laying spots, and hunting areas of these habitats need to be just right! So, where on earth will we get all of the right conditions for these insects? The answer is sand dunes! Sand dunes aren’t just your average sandy beaches either. They have been intricately shaped by natural wonders such as the wind and water to form specific mounded shapes, and without these dunes perfectly managing the conditions for these beetles to go about their daily life, they simply wouldn’t be able to thrive in abundance.

Photo by Chantal on Unsplash

Now that we know a little more about these beetles and where they live, let us get right into how they utilise these superb skills and habitats in their daily life.

Morning time!

The day starts on the barely vegetated, sparse sand dunes of Sefton, Merseyside and Cumbria in the north west of England. For such speedy sprinters, the first call to action for these insects is surprisingly relaxing – they sunbathe! That’s right, they get to start out the day how every human wishes they could; laying on rocks, grass and the ground, basking in the sun rays. Why do they do this? Just to simply get warm – I think we all know that given how chilly it gets each night up north that these little creatures need to warm up before leaping into their active day.

Photo by p j on Unsplash

Where do they hang out for the rest of the day?

While they like to have a stretch in the sun in the mornings, they can’t laze about all day – this is the fastest beetle in the world we’re talking about, and they have so much to do! These tiger beetles spend a lot of time in their larval form before metamorphosing into adults. In this stage, they nuzzle in sand burrows – these are just holes within the sand – and while sitting down for most of their lives doesn’t make it seem like these beetles are very busy, this is the stage where they must always be on the lookout, as things are about to get interesting. 

Photo by Anthony Choren on Unsplash

Time to eat!

The way in which nutrients are obtained to sustain an active lifestyle – in the same way as humans – is through diet. Northern dune tiger beetles love to dig into a range of treats, and due to its immense hunting skills, it has its pick of the bunch; they like to eat anything from ants and spiders to moths and flies. So how does this link to the larval position we spoke about; these beetles will sit in their holes, keeping a close eye on what’s happening at the surface of the sand, pouncing on these prey as they move past the burrow. In regards to the moths and flies, the beetle is adept in flight too, and fast at that!

Photo by kazuend on Unsplash

They must be exhausted!

After this long day of hunting, sprinting, and flying, it is safe to say that these beetles need a good night’s sleep in order to do this all again in the morning. Using these same burrows, they dig into them even deeper in the night – up to 20cm, and rest here until the sun rises. These nifty holes are also where any eggs are laid and shielded in the winter time until they are ready to crop up in summer.

Photo by Basil Samuel Lade on Unsplash

This routine is unfortunately at risk

Do you remember how before we got stuck into the day, we discussed how sand dunes must be surplus and well maintained in order to sustain the exciting lifestyle of the northern dune tiger beetle? This, sadly, isn’t the case right now. While invasive species such as Rosa rugosa (a non-native species of rose originated in Eastern Asia, introduced to the UK as an ornamental species) are being maintained to limit the rate of which the land reclaims the sand dunes, human activities such as the creation of seaside attractions, holiday paths and homes, along with the natural process of dune degradation (through erosion and transport as a result of high velocity wind) means that this already rare species is at even greater risk due to displacement. 

Photo by Brina Blum on Unsplash

How are we helping, and how you can too.

Northern Dune Tiger Beetles and Sand Dunes are at risk in our changing climate and through changes in land use. To help, you can: 

  • Visit the mural, take a picture, draw it, post it online and celebrate its beauty! 
  • Get in touch with your local MP or councillor, write them a letter, and tell them why protecting and restoring nature is so important! We can help you get started here 
  • Support organisations like Buglife and Dynamic Dunescapes – get in touch with them, tell them about the mural, why you care, and let’s fight together! 
  • Learn more about our friend the Northern Dune Tiger Beetle here.
  • Paint/Draw/Write about your own experiences with the species and @ukyouth4nature on socials
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July 14, 2021 brendenbeckett Natural Kingdom, Our member!, WildWalls No Comments  

The Power of parks

By Monica Bhatia

Some people may question, “What’s so special about a park?”. Even though the idea of stretches of green grass and stoney paths may be seen as boring to some, these places are the ones we can always rely on; they are always free, often accessible, and have been one of the safest and only places we have been able to turn to for the past year or so. Not to be stereotypical and discuss the revelations I have had during this lockdown, but many months after not leaving my home, I stumbled across a park that is a one minute drive from my home – I have lived in the same house all of my life and I never knew this place existed – and since then, going for a quick lap around this park has been the highlight of my days and weeks. It provided me with a place to exercise, a place to think and breathe, and a place to get away. Parks feed the nation with so many rich benefits, and in this post I am going to discuss a mere few of the beautiful gifts that parks provide us with. 

Physical health – run, walk, cycle or jog, these parks provide paths that allow us to get our steps in in an environment that is peaceful and calm. Different routes allow for different amounts of exercise, and in addition to this, many parks are fitted with gym equipment! You can easily argue that one could simply walk down the street for their daily walk, buy some home exercise equipment or head to the gym for a work out, yet there is something about parks that makes the often daunting idea of working out more comfortable. Walking down the street is great, but the thing about streets is it is often just houses after houses – this almost mundane surrounding can lead to demotivation when it comes to exercise, yet in a park, there is always the option to try something new! You can take a new path each time, or even if you choose to take the same one, I guarantee there will always be something new there that wasn’t there the day before – this could be as simple as a new bug or bird sound, or something drastic and beautiful like the colours of the leaves on trees changing – either way, this ever changing environment can be the factor that motivates people to visit and therefore exercise in parks every day. In regards to working out in the gym or in your homes, I understand that a lot of people almost feel embarrassed about working out in front of regular gym goers or family, but in parks there is a certain comfort in knowing that everyone is here to do the same thing – just go for an easy walk! In addition to this, if you’re lucky you will have a dog run up to you, and I can’t think of anything more motivational than that. 

My go to walk route in my local park!

Mental health. This is what I have gained the most from these parks. The quiet, the fresh air, and the open space combined provides an environment perfect for organising your thoughts, or given that parks create a world separate to the crowded urban streets, the option to leave your worries at the gate and get back to them when you’re ready. Whenever I find myself stressed, I often get so frustrated that I can’t make myself feel better where I am in the house – I ask myself “why do I need to go somewhere to clear my head?” – but that’s precisely the issue. You cannot make yourself feel better in the environment that is stressing you out, from the mound of homework laying on your desk to the loud hustle and bustle going on in your kitchen, to feel better, you need to get away from the source of worry. I can fully admit that now, sitting at my laptop with a huge to do list of tasks ahead of me, that a simple 10 minutes outside would make me feel miles better.

I remember exactly how I felt when I took this one! I’d been sitting at home for 3 days straight, and felt so demotivated. I went to the park to get a break and saw the blossoms and remembered it was the beginning of spring! And while I was still stressed, simply seeing the blossoms provided me with a mental boost.

Hobbies and education. The fact that something as simple as a space full of grass and trees could open up so many doors and interests is mind boggling! While these links may not seem direct, the sheer beauty of a park can stimulate something in us creatives, this thing being inspiration! The colours, sounds, and feelings you can gain while in your park can fuel you with ideas to put in a vast array of things you do, whether it’s the things you do for fun such as music or art, or the things you have to do such as school assignments or projects – I’m an A Level student, and I can find myself in a biology lesson learning about anything from photosynthesis to the food web and I can actually think to myself “wait – I’ve seen this happen!” even if it was simple observing a leaf or seeing a bird gobble up a worm. I think a huge, direct hobby that I have gained from my parks is photography – not even anything special; I strolled into the park with nothing but my phone camera, and I left with a gallery full of pictures that were fairly decent, and since then whenever I go somewhere where there is a chance of coming across a spot of nature, a camera is always at the ready – this may seem simple, or uninteresting to some, but having this simple hobby to fall back on that has no commitments, pressure, and is free of charge provides me with so much joy. 

Finding moss in the park gives me an example of a component of a woodland area when studying ecosystems!

Community – this links to my last point. Let’s just say, if you’re a nature lover, that instantly makes you part of a pretty cool community – as I started to post the pictures mentioned above on my social media, I found myself being embraced into a community of wildlife photographers that I didn’t even know existed – the ability to talk, text and share with talented photographers all across the globe was a blessing in a time where I couldn’t even leave the house to see friends, and none of this would have happened had I not ventured into a park and took some simple photographs.  

One of my favourite bits of nature photography.

To conclude, I want to acknowledge how lucky I am to have a park on my doorstep – I understand that this is a privilege that not many have (if you’d like to help us ensure that this isn’t the case, keep up with our Nature Nearby campaign, we are all over the idea of equal access to nature like a rash!), yet if you are one of the lucky ones, all I can say is go. No commitments or anything, but just go for a little bit of your day, and I promise you that there will be something incredible to gain.

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April 9, 2021 brendenbeckett Our member!, Power of, Uncategorized No Comments  

Ecosystem Services and Nature Based Solutions

By Monica Bhatia

It is clear to see that so much of what we humans have on earth is given to us by the natural world – many of these are what keep us alive! So if the services that ecosystems provide us are so important, surely we should be doing everything in our power to keep these ecosystems alive and healthy. Unfortunately this isn’t always a priority. So let’s discuss ecosystem services, and the nature based solutions to keep them functioning.

To begin, it is key that we understand the components; an ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms within their physical environment and a service is a system supplying a public need. Therefore an ecosystem service can be defined as the benefits to humans provided by these ecosystems. 

Before we continue, let’s look at the main ecosystems that make our lives oh so wonderful:
  • Tropical rainforest
  • Temperate forest
  • Boreal forest
  • Tropical grassland
  • Temperate grassland
  • Mediterranean
  • Desert
  • Tundra
  • Mountain

Now, what are the main ecosystem services? They can be split into four main categories:

1 – Provisioning services

These are the tangible goods produced or provided by ecosystems. One example of this is food, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, which not only provides us food on a basis of survival. Another example is fuel wood, and this benefits not only individuals in regards to heat for cooking but also allows unusable wood excess to find a home and reduce waste.

2 – Regulating services

These are the benefits we gain from the regulation of ecosystem processes (regulation meaning the act of something being maintained by an authority). Examples of regulating services include pest regulation, climate regulation, and pollination. What is key to note when looking at these is the fact that we could not live without them; if pests were not regulated, crops would be devastated or even wiped out; if the climate wasn’t regulated, the earth’s surface temperature would soar even quicker, making the planet simply inhospitable sooner than is already predicted and if pollination wasn’t to take place, the habitats that wildlife rely on for food and shelter may not even exist. 

Without pest predators like birds, plant life would likely struggle to feed our global populations because pests adore munching away on plants.

3 – Cultural services

These are the non-material benefits we withdraw from ecosystems, such as a spiritual, recreational, aesthetic and educational gain. While, unlike the provisioning and regulating services, our lives don’t necessarily depend on cultural services, they provide a different type of gain; it allows traditions to be withheld throughout decades, allows families and friends to bond in the outdoors, provides self peace and joy, and allows you to educate yourself with a more holistic understanding of the world.

Did you know, just 20 minutes spent outdoors can significantly lower your stress levels?
Simply, nature provides a stunning view; just look at those trees – and mountains – and that lake!
There are an estimated 413 ecosystems in the world. That is 413 things to learn about!

4 – Support services

These are the factors necessary for maintaining these ecosystem services, such as soil formation and nutrient cycling. If these biological processes didn’t exist, nor would the animals and environments that produce all of the gains mentioned above, and our lives would be nowhere near what they are right now. 

In the same way that bricks and cement build solid foundations for our houses, nutrients and soil build up ecosystems – it’s like a construction matrial!

At this point you might be thinking, we have all of this already, and we will in years to come, so what are we trying to solve? People think this because the things mentioned above such as food and wood fuel are labelled as “renewable”. If a resource is renewable, it is meant to mean we will always be able to have it, however, this is often not the case. It can happen where over exploitation occurs – thinking it’ll never run out – yet an infinite resource can turn finite. Why don’t we look at an example:
Trees. We can always plant them, and the world is full of them. The fact that they can be grown again and again means that they are an infinite resource. Wood is in demand as we use it for heating and energy, so we cut it down. If we cut down the trees at a faster rate than we can grow them back, there is a possibility of there being a period where there are no trees (as we would still be waiting for more to grow). If you’re a bit business savvy, you could even call it supply and demand. 

So now we know where our issue lies, we can begin to ponder the solutions, and more specifically, the nature based solutions. Nature based solutions are actions that work with and enhance nature to help address social challenges. The solution begins with us – we need to take on lifestyles where we withdraw the gifts of nature that we need to survive, while allowing it to flourish and recover between periods where we take from it. If you are reading this article, I can assume that you are intrigued as to what the nature based solutions to ecosystem loss are – they can be carried out on an individual, organisational or governmental scale, but considering you may want to make a change, let’s begin with the steps you can take.

It is all about consumption really. More or less everything we buy, eat or wear is a derivative of nature, even if it isn’t so obvious, somewhere down the supply chain of the products you own, an ecosystem service comes into play. There are two main questions we can ask ourselves; what do we buy/consume, and how much do we buy/consume. You should always check when buying natural products that they are derived ethically, in a way that doesn’t harm the ecosystem it comes from, here are some marks to look out for that ensure that your product is doing as little damage as possible:

Note that these symbols don’t guarantee that the entire product is both ethical, sustainable and provide a fair wage. They merely target one section of the creation process (and sometimes transport process) and suggest that they’ve tried to follow certain guidelines.
Often the best practice is to buy when you need something and to buy local.

Additionally, we just need to buy less if it is derived from nature – remember how we mentioned supply and demand? We need to give what we take away time to be replenished. If you want to go all the way and make as little interruptions in ecosystems as possible, consider some lifestyle changes; ensure your home runs on renewable energy sources, or install a smart meter so you can keep an eye on what you use.

When we talk about organisations, we are discussing amazing groups such as the WWF, which collect funds in order to preserve these habitats and shield them from being exploited. This trend has developed and progressed into other organisations but this needs to be a more commonplace practice for businesses.

But where the most influence is held, is in our governments. If stricter environmental rules were insisted upon, we wouldn’t have products that are not ethically sourced in a way that is as unobtrusive as possible, as it simply wouldn’t be allowed – yet laws and policymakers often turn a blind eye and allow too much to be derived in the wrong way (often only focusing on economic benefit), meaning we are losing many more ecosystems than we should. (speaking your mind is the best way to show a government that you disagree with a policy – sign petitions at www.gov.uk > petition-government, or maybe express your views in an instagram post and tag @borisjohnsonuk @ukgovofficial and @ukparliment !)

I would like to thank you so much for reading, I hope I have done a decent job in educating you on ecosystems and nature based solutions – stay safe, and stay caring for the planet 🙂

Follow Monica HERE

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December 15, 2020 brendenbeckett Blog, Nature Nearby, Our member! 1 Comment