2022 Catalog: Beneficials Part 3
Return to part 2 of our 2022 catalog series: beneficials.
The Waldorf School of Atlanta
Miyuki Maruping, lead garden teacher at the Waldorf School of Atlanta Miyuki Maruping has been working at the Waldorf School of Atlanta since 2018 as the lead gardening teacher. She first became connected to the school as a parent in 2014. Through maintaining the garden at the school and inviting the children in to learn from it, Miyuki has seen for herself how the garden's benefits extend beyond the classroom and into her local community. “Ever since the opportunity came to be the gardening teacher at WSA, I have aspired to create an urban biodynamic garden by growing, as much as possible, what the garden needs within itself. It was during the pandemic that I realized how special our school garden was to many in our community. During lockdown, people inside and outside of the WSA community visited the garden, interacted with the chickens, and admired the flowers and vegetables growing in season. As a caretaker, it is gratifying to see the school garden serve as a place for healing.” Miyuki draws inspiration for her work with the children from nature itself, from books written by environmental writers and local farmers, and from the autobiographies of activists. She sees the positive impact that comes from introducing children to nature when they are young. “Rachel Carson’s quote, ‘But man is a part of nature, and a war against nature is inevitably a war against himself,’ inspires me to do the work I do. I love Waldorf education for its experience-based approach. The first-hand experience that the students receive will live in their hearts for their lifetime. I find it crucial for a child to get exposure to nature early in life under the guidance of a role model. Such opportunities will help them to recognize later in life that they are a part of nature and will inspire them to act as stewards for the environment.” To be a part of nature is to see the nature in ourselves. Miyuki’s time in the urban garden, fostering biodiversity at the center of her community, helped reveal many parallels to her when examining growth in its numerous forms. “For an oak to grow into a healthy tree, it needs support from various members of the forest including understory trees, shrubs, herbaceous layers, ground covers, mycorrhizal fungi, the sun, rain, etc. For children to grow into adults who can think for themselves and act to better society, they also need support from various members of their community, whether they are human or non-human, visible or invisible. I believe that my work with children in the school garden is helping them see themselves as part of the natural world. Community really is the driving force of my work. My vision for the WSA’s school garden is a safe place that allows the students and families to cultivate a sense of belonging to the land, to one another, and to the Earth. Creating such a place is a big task; I am grateful for the school community’s support to slowly but surely realize a small urban sanctuary that is beaming with biodiversity! I am also currently exploring a question as a gardener and a conscientious citizen about how a garden rich in biodiversity can be a place to cultivate human diversity.” You can support The Waldorf School of Atlanta through the donations page on their website. "The mission and values of The Waldorf School of Atlanta are sustained through the dedicated commitment of every member of our community. Gifts of time, money, and expertise are essential components of that commitment. This valuable support enables our school to remain fiscally healthy and cultivates our vibrant and compassionate community."
Syrphid Flies
When we think about pollinators, we are often drawn to the charismatic players: honeybees, hummingbirds, bats and butterflies. While all of these individuals contribute important pollination services on our gardens and farms, there is a long list of species that may be less recognized but still play important roles in the pollination of our crops. Among these less represented organisms are flies and beetles. Flies are often considered pests, entering homes and being a nuisance to livestock with some species even contributing to the spread of disease. The order Diptera is large, containing over one million species globally. One important group of beneficial organisms that we commonly find in our gardens and farms is Syrphid flies. Syrphid flies, also known as flower flies or hoverflies, are essential pollinators of a wide range of plants. Within the Syrphidae family, there are more than 6,000 identified species, 900 of which occur in North America. Syrphid flies hover in place and have black and yellow striping on their bodies. For this reason, our instinct when they approach can be to swat them away, confusing them for bees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets that are known to deliver a nasty sting. Syrphid flies have no stinger; they have large, fly-like eyes and short antennae. Their black and yellow markings and the noise their hovering wings make in flight trick their predators into believing they may have a stinger, protecting them from becoming food. This adaptation not only protects them from being hunted by vertebrates, it also allows them to live in harmony with other pollinators. Some Syrphid species even lay their eggs in bumblebee nests. Their young feed on dead bees, detritus and bee pests, helping to keep hives clean. Around 40% of the world’s species of Syrphid flies have a predatory larval stage that contributes to the elimination of crop pests. These species lay their eggs on crops, and hatched larvae feed on aphids, ants, caterpillars, mites, scales and other soft bodied insects known to harm crops. For an example of impact: one aphid-feeding Syrphid fly larva can consume up to 400 aphids before pupation. Adult Syrphid flies of these species are not predacious and instead feed on the pollen and nectars of plants. Syrphid flies are an important part of seed production, as they are some of the first pollinators that occur in spring. Their numbers have been on the decline, though they have never been listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act simply because they are a much less studied pollinator species. Fortunately, our gardens and farms provide excellent habitat for these essential workers. Planting flowering cover crops like buckwheat and phacelia can help attract their services to our vegetable crops, and the vegetables themselves will serve as nurseries for their young.
De Bolster Organic Seeds
Frank Vosselman of De Bolster Organic Seeds in the Netherlands Frank Vosselman is the managing director of De Bolster Seeds in the Netherlands, an all-organic seed breeding company that partners with High Mowing and others to distribute productive varieties they have developed specifically for organic growing systems. “De Bolster Seeds is helping organic agriculture by providing the right varieties for that type of growing, but also more generally by ensuring there is a steady seed supply. By growing all of these seed crops organically, we are helping farmers to be able to run their operations organically, which in turn makes healthy foods available for people." Frank acknowledges that this work hasn't always been on trend or popular. It has been the long term efforts of growers and breeders who have stayed committed to the development of organics that have made the marketplace what it is today. “When I look back to when my parents had the organic vegetable company, you heard a lot of stories about how things weren’t possible in organic agriculture. You would hear, ‘It’s not possible to feed the world with organic agriculture,’ or ‘It’s not possible to produce organic seeds in large enough quantities.’ What makes me hopeful is that, with a different mindset and a different way of doing things, change is possible.” As climate change brings new challenges to growers across the globe, Frank sees collaboration as an essential part of our collective wellbeing going into an uncertain future. "In the last 5-10 years the effects of climate change have been much more apparent in our seed production and for the growers who buy our seed. Things are changing in our societies and culture far too slowly to make a difference. It feels more important than ever to speed up our efforts and to inform people inside and outside of our communities that the window of time for climate action is closing. We have the responsibility to maintain conditions on our planet that will give our children a prosperous future. This makes it more important than ever for seed companies to start collaborating and cooperating with each other. We need to create a network around the world where we can spread our risks and ensure that our organic farmers have the seeds they need to be successful. It is becoming more obvious all the time that dealing with climate variables is impossible without diversity. The planet has not evolved to work within a mono-crop system. Using the Earth as our guide, we can see that diversity is the key to everything. This is true in nature, in our seed crops, in our communities, and in our network of companies.” You can support the important work of De Bolster Seeds by continuing to plant certified organic seeds. "We anticipate a world where organic, nutritious crops, grown sustainably, are available to everyone. That is why De Bolster is committed to supporting organic farming by providing growers with high quality seed of the best varieties."
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Bluebirds, Western Bluebirds and Mountain Bluebirds, all stemming from the genus Sialia, are not only a beautiful sight to see in our natural spaces, but they also serve an important ecological purpose that can benefit our farms and gardens. These mostly insectivorous and omnivorous birds feed on a wide variety of insects including beetles, insect larvae, caterpillars, crickets, grasshoppers, slugs, snails, moths, mosquitoes and various other pest species. They also feed on the berries of some native North American plants, especially in the winter time, including holly, pokeweed, chokeberry, viburnums, wild cherries, red cedar, sumac, hackberries and dogwood. As secondary cavity nesters, bluebirds will build their nest and hatch their brood in the holes of trees made by other animals and birds. Female bluebirds will lay a clutch containing 3 to 5 eggs that take around two weeks to hatch. When the eggs hatch, both the male and female bluebirds will spend 15 to 18 hours a day feeding their young. Nestlings require feeding every 20 minutes, which results in nearly constant insect hunting and the removal of large numbers of soft-bodied insect pests from the surrounding landscape, helping alleviate pest pressure in our gardens and farms. The days that lead up to fledging time are filled with even more feeding. When the brood fledges, male bluebirds tend to young while the female bluebird builds a new nest. A bluebird pair can fledge up to 3 broods in a season. Bluebirds have undergone a serious decline in population as a result of habitat loss. More recent efforts have been made by conservation organizations and individuals alike that have helped them rebound their numbers. There are a few simple things that we can do to help promote them in our gardens and farms. BUILD A BLUEBIRD TRAIL Being secondary cavity nesters, bluebirds readily take to nesting in human made nesting boxes. It has been found that placing 5 or more boxes in a line is most effective for attracting returning breeding pairs.- Place 5 or more boxes in a row adjacent to ideal hunting territory, like an open lawn, meadow, or crop field.
- Place each house no closer together than 300 ft. To keep houses properly distanced, it can be helpful to team up with your neighbors to create the trail.