When was the last time you noticed the world underfoot? The smaller creatures are, by their very nature, easy to miss. But if you take a moment, you’ll spot one, then two, then three…it’s a fascinating world of many (or sometimes no) legs and a rainbow of colours just waiting to be discovered.
The importance of minibeasts stretches beyond their aesthetics, which range from lovely to admittedly a little odd – many play a certain role in an ecosystem, some even going so far as to indicate environmental health! We are definitely fans of them here on the farm – the late Arthur Hollins was particularly emphatic about the wonders of the earthworms.
Indeed, they are creatures which maintain soil health, their movement aiding aeration and drainage, and frees up nutrients vital to plant life. They are also a significant step within the food web, supplementing the diets of native birds, moles, foxes, hedgehogs, and even other invertebrates, such as devil’s coach horse beetles and fly larvae.
Fast forward to the present, and we are celebrating the smaller creatures this quarter with our ‘Brilliant Bugs’ theme. While we will be singing the praises of the earthworm, we will also be pointing the spotlight towards the poo-dwelling critters – dung beetles! Without them, our world would be filthy – they are extremely efficient at clearing waste products, and by extension keep populations of flies under control. Interestingly, some species have even been seen to navigate using the Milky Way! While fascinating, and certainly important, it may be hard to imagine such a creature as somewhat pretty – but in some species, their carapace appears iridescent, displaying flashes of green, purple and dark blue.
The lesser noticed world of the minibeast is certainly something worth noticing! We are excited that, here on the farm, we have several events coming up that can get you involved in this world – Easter Holidays and beyond….
- Brilliant Bugs Seasonal Trail
- Search for different minibeasts on the farm and learn about what makes them wonderful!
- Easter holidays onwards, 10am-4pm, £2.50 per child – drop into the café or farm shop to purchase.
- Poo Patrol – family friendly dung beetle event
- Learn about the fascinating (and poopy) world of the dung beetle!
- 18th May. Keep your eyes peeled for more info, coming soon…….
- Dung Beetles & Farming
- A session for farmers on how nature can benefit livestock and build resilience.
- 18th May. More info to follow soon!
We hope we can welcome you to the farm soon…keep your eyes peeled for those weird and wonderful minibeasts on your wanders! Don’t forget we have our calendar photo competition running until the end of August – maybe a bee, ladybird or dung beetle could be the winning image….
For more info, please visit: www.fordhallfarm.com/fordhall-calendar-photo-competition
Francesca Lant, Marketing and Communications Officer