Guerrilla Gardening News

Wildflowers often look simple and delicate, but they play a much bigger role in our daily lives than most people realize. They grow in meadows, along roadsides, in fields, and sometimes even in small, untouched corners of our cities. Although we tend to see them as “natural decoration,” wildflowers support entire ecosystems and quietly contribute to our well-being. Wildflowers are a crucial source of food and habitat for pollinators. Bees, butterflies, beetles and many other insects depend on them throughout the season. Because wildflowers bloom at different times, they offer a steady supply of nectar and pollen from early spring...

Air pollution does not only affect our lungs. It also interferes with the quiet communication system between flowers and the pollinators that depend on them. Most people do not realize that flowers do more than look beautiful. Their scent is a crucial signal. It guides bees, butterflies and other pollinators straight to the nectar they need. In clean air, a flower’s scent spreads easily and forms a clear trail that pollinators can follow. But when the air is polluted, the chemical compounds that make up this scent break down much faster. Some molecules disappear, others change, and the result is...

Light pollution is something most of us do not really think about, because it feels harmless. A bright street, a lit window or a glowing billboard seems normal. But for many animals, especially pollinators, artificial light changes everything. They rely on darkness just as much as they rely on food, and when the night never feels fully dark, their whole rhythm is disturbed. Many insects use the natural cycle of day and night to know when to feed, rest or look for mates. When cities stay bright all night, their internal clocks get confused. Some species, like moths, normally navigate...

Most of us imagine nature as something that lives far from where we are. Maybe in the countryside, in fields, forests or wide open landscapes. But a huge part of what keeps our ecosystems alive is happening right in front of us, including in busy cities. Pollinators do not care about our borders or where we think nature belongs. They just follow the flowers. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, beetles, flies and even some birds. Their work looks simple, yet it supports almost one-third of the food we eat. Without them, many plants would not produce fruits or seeds. Our diets...