🙌If you would like to help out you can become a member here: www.mossy.earth/ In addition to our own projects in places like Scotland, Portugal, Ecuador and Indonesia we also work with fantastic partners such as BROZ. A huge thank you for enabling our work! - Cheers, Duarte
So true! You don’t have to donate much if you don’t want to. Even a little bit helps! For the price of a cup of coffee house coffee you can help each month.
The average person cannot re-introduce the lynx or the other amazing things you do but almost anyone can create habitiat for insects. This is a passion of mine. I live in a town and have a medium size yard that I have been converting the turf grass to native prairie. It has been gratifying to watch the different insects return and learn about them.
A fellow No-Mow! I haven't cut my lawn in 21 years, and haven't regretted a moment of it. The life restored to my garden is incredible. While the Neonicotinoid era did have a terrible impact here, it is still recovering steadily - with new species coming in along the way (lizards, Bullfinches, the Chimney Sweeper moth, and just a few days ago a very vibrantly coloured type of fly - or bee, maybe - that I have never seen anywhere else before). And although you have, no doubt, added new wild flowers to your mini-prairie, I'll bet Nature has done for you as she has for me - adding new wild flowers of her own. In that regard, the most impressive free gift was the Hemp Agrimony, which is a magnet for Red Admiral butterflies (among others).
It's cool to see that rewilding doesn't have to be about large predators and large swathes of remote wilderness. And I tip my hat to you on pronouncing all those butterflies.
@@MUSTASCH1O No we don't need to keep expanding our towns and cities further and further outwards. That is bad for nature and the planet. We still need more large scale nature rich landscapes as well as these smaller areas. We do need to make sure that our towns and cities are greener and good for nature also and to stop just building and destroying places and not thinking of putting back nature around where our buildings are.
@@DynamixWarePro I feel your sense of loss, but I think you are missing my point. We do need to maintain and improve large national parks, but I am saying our towns and cities should also have smaller areas and nature corridors planned into them. This will increase biodiversity compared to isolated large landscapes and expose far more people to nature. House prices are cripplingly high in the UK and pharma and tech companies are going to America because there isn't enough lab space here. If we don't build we will be doomed to stagnation and social immobility. Biodiversity and development aren't mutually exclusive problems if green space is planned in from the start. Nature won't be preserved unless people are exposed to it and benefit from it, so we need more of it in our settlements.
Insect diversity is fundamental to any ecosystem, and they are usually ignored in conservation. Everybody just talks about bees.. if anything. Kudos to Mossy Earth for dedicating a whole program for them.
I think the primary concern is that the good insects tend to share the same habitats as the famine-causing insects (such as locusts) so it's not as easy as just "bring back nature" like it would be with other flora/fauna.
Yes! There is so much people could do by just planting native plants in their gardens versus exotic ones from other continents. I've been converting my yard to native plants and it has been amazing how quick the insects return.
The same concept applies to the Famous Monarch butterflies that are native to north & central america. Their host plant are those in the Asclepios genus. aka Milkweeds. We've seen their number decline rapidly over the 20th century due to clearing once untouched wild prairie grazed by megafauna (bison) into monoculture corn fields. No prairies = less milkweeds = less monarchs. And so our solution instead of... putting in an effort to restore their habitat. We've done the classic american move and decided to sell you on planting your own milkweed in your garden to "save the monarchs". I guess it does help that milkweed's have very colorful and beautiful flowers so it's really easy to convince people to buy it lol
Yeah we have one here that depends on stinging nettles, sure its not fun to have plants that stings you in your garden but I still managed to find a spot where its not a problem for me and the butterflies have a spot. Just have to put some thought into it
@@johannahettman1773a lot of european butterflies rely on nettles too, 6 species (Nymphalids) and probably more who have other options but often depend on nettles because the other plants aren’t available. Also nettles make a very cool soup.
I have bought a new farm. On this farm I have 28 hectares of European primeval forest and 23 hectares of meadows. However, I have to mow these once a year to provide food for all my animals. But unlike most farmers, I only mow once. Living like this is simply much nicer than the clean forests in my old homeland. I have a lot more wild animals and insects than before. So many animals that I have never seen in my life and didn't even know existed. (Although I have always lived in nature)
@@leilatanner6789 that's not luck. Since i'm out of school i worked 60-80h a week for it, 7 days a week, all my holidays i worked for someone to earn some extra money. If you wanna achive something, you have to do something for it.
If you read about nature before intensive farming and agrochemicals took over, you realise how much we have lost, when people described countryside with clouds of butterflies. Congratulations on your work, its wonderful. Best wishes from Wales.
Even when I was a teen in the 90s, peacock butterflies used to swarm certain flowering plants in summer. You'd see a dozen at once or more on lilac bushes and such. Haven't seen even a single one in forever. It's so sad.
@@raraavis7782 In the UK we have huge amounts of buddleia, which is otherwise known as the butterfly bush, it grows everywhere, but hardly any butterflies.
@@pauldurkee4764 Yes, that's the one I meant. Gorgeous plant. We had one in our garden, when I was a kid. Looked and smelled so nice. And it was always covered in butterflies, when the weather was nice. Such good memories!
I haven't seen a single firefly in my backyard in the last 20 years. They used to light up the path from the gate to the door. We've lost and we keep losing so much every year it's disheartening.
@@pauldurkee4764unfortunately, buddleia is an invasive species in middle and eastern europe (it's native to China and Tibet). It takes over large areas and replaces native plants. Sure, the butterflies like them because of the nectar, but they're much better off with plants natural to their habitat. A lot of butterflies rely on a certain plant for reproduction (laying eggs and food for the caterpillars) and buddleia isn't providing that to them. There are native plants one can choose to plant instead, like loosestrife or three-leaved valerian.
I really appreciate the message of taking time to look more closely at a space that we see so often and don’t think about much to notice the surprising amount of biodiversity and beauty
I think it is particularly relevant for the habitats that coexist with us in close proximity. We need to appreciate them and protect them! :) Glad you enjoyed the video! - Cheers, Duarte
prairie and meadowland restoration is so important!! large scale agriculture has left it as one of the most endangered habitats....thanks for doing this
I live in a region with meadows of this kind - meaning there are only grazed by sheep to keep the soil quality poor. It attracts so many rare flowers like orchids and butterflies and insects of all kinds. It's very, very beautiful. But also very underappreciated, because not many people know what a rich ecosystem they have right in front of them. Thank you so much for drawing attention to my beloved meadows! ♡
Meadows can also easily be replicated in your garden. Set aside a corner, get an appropriate seed mix and mow it once in June and once in the autumn. When mowing in June, let everything lie and dry for 2-3 days to simulate making hay. Then rake it away and compost. This will help with seed dispersal as seeds drop during the drying period. It is really a low effort project
It is a very bad idea to mow it in June. At that time all the plants and insects are the most active and you will kill off everything thing that lives there. Much better to wait until the latter half of July to mow it. And cut it again in autumn. Of course removing the hay each time.
@@detvarsomfankanske You won't kill everything. Least of all with a hand scythe but a motor scythe is not that big of an issue either. A mulcher is really bad, but we don't use those in natural gardens anyway. However, if you do not mow or mow too late, it causes two issues. First, many plants have already been blooming and won't come up in time before autumns. Second, the dense vegetation blocks the light close to the ground. Plants that have a later cycle or seeds that require light for germination will be at a huge disadvantage. Mowing late mainly profits the grasses which have a low biological value. These meadows have adapted to the cycle of making hay and they need that cut in June. Of course, it is always a good idea to have a different section in your garden that is cut only once per year
@@foobar9220 Maybe you are located in a different part of the world, if so I am sorry. Were I live, in the north of Europe, everything is in full bloom and all the insects are the most active in early July. Here the hay cut traditionally started in the middle of July and went on until the middle of August, and did so for centuries. I didn't mean that you kill all the insects, but if you cut all the flowers too early all the nectar and larval food plants will be gone.
@@detvarsomfankanske I am in southern Germany. I cut one week ago and it was definitely overdue. With the early spring we had this year, I think that 3 weeks earlier would have been the correct choice. And of course, there are still plenty of flowers left in our garden. Here the classic rhythm was like mid June. But nowadays, farmers have a completely different rhythm.
CBS Sunday Morning had a video about something similar, maybe last year, somewhere in the Midwest. Should be easy to find in their channel @@noahchevrette7485
I have about half a hectare of land in la Alpujarra, south side of Sierra Nevada, Spain. Almond, walnut and olive trees. All the land between the trees is meadow, has been for 25 years now. Before the soil was dead, fertilised with chemicals for decades. Many species of butterfly, bee, beetle etc enjoy the renovated meadows on my land. Well, I share ownership with all the plants and animals on this half hectare. Anyone reading this who has a piece of land should consider doing the same. Nice vid, thanks.
Your reports on these rewilding projects are like healing salve on an open wound. Thank you so much for the aspiration, for the hard work, and for bringing them to us.
bees have a larger perceived negative: their stingers the most a butterfly can do is land on you and lick you. this is seen as attractive. so the argument for them over bees is pretty strong
I study forestry in Germany. We looked at several amazing projects with grasers (mostly goats and cattle) in the forests, where they keep small areas open and very bright. There where explosions of biodiversity there. Simply amazing!
This is BY FAR the most uplifting and beautiful video i have seen on UA-cam EVER. As a 14-year old norwegian that has been fascinated and obsessed with entomology for my whole life, me and insects all around the globe are thanking you hardworking, kind and amazing people at Mossy Earth and all of its members. Insects are very often forgotten in conservation work, which is so sad to see, as they are extremely crucial and important to all ecosystems worldwide, and without them, we humans would never survive. In recent years insect populations worldwide has declined massively, mainly due to habitat loss. I am so happy that someone finally are doing some amazing and serious habitat restoration trying to protect and help these beautiful insects. My main interest has always been beetles (Coleoptera), and seeing someone finally mention these cute dung-loving beetles almost makes me cry in happiness. If you were to search for weevils in the family Apionidae here, I think you would find an amazing amount of species of them, as they are often tightly asscosiated with specific, rare meadow and sun-loving flowering plants. KEEP UP THE AMAZING CONSERVATION WORK, IT REALLY MATTERS!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Here in Norway we sadly lost an entire butterfly species a few years ago, due to habitat loss. It was the beautiful blue Plebejus argyrognomon, asscosiated with the plant Astragalus glycyphyllos. May it rest in peace ❤
The little guys in the ecosystem always gets looked over by the larger predators and animals so its great to see you all caring for all types of life in these videos. Thanks for all you do! i am currently studying Environmental sciences and hope to help the world just as much as you all when i done with schooling
Imagine if we could do this in suburban america. All these monoculture grass yards managed by HOAs could actually be used for something environmentally beneficial.
This reminds me something similar that my city did. There is a patch of land on the registry building and it has a no mow zone, specifically for butterflies. Even though the patch is like 20m by 25m it’s still exciting to see in the middle of a city. And yes I do see butterflies when I go past it 😊
At my stable we have a field that grows tall every year for hay, in addition to the fields for the horses. This year with all the rain we’ve been getting in south Germany everything was full of flowers, I saw so many insects and butterflies it was great!
Videos like this make me really happy to be a Mossy Earth member. Especially when these projects happen so close to home (I live like 65 km from Beckov). I really appreciate you guys! And BROZ of course!
There’s this large field behind my house, with some forested areas surrounding it, with a stream that leads into a lake farther back. The lake is relatively undeveloped, but the scary thing is the land behind my house is owned by a rich developer who is planning on developing the land in the next 5-6 years. I wish I had you guys around right now.
I once heard an idea to plant some endangered plants that are illegal to uproot in areas like that, don't know if it would work though lol. or attract protected species there and report them.
@@ablah949probably need to consult with an environmentalist that knew how to keep secrets and find a rare plant that historically would have been present in the area.
Glad I am a member. I’m a great fan of butterflies and other insects, and have rewilded my garden. I don’t have many bare earth / ploughed / disturbed areas such as you’ve skilfully shown here, so will try to do some of that. Sadly, in the UK we only have about 30% of the species which exist on mainland Europe, so showing the gorgeous European ones I can never see over here, was great! Thank you so much, and please create more videos, showing the English names of other insects. 🤩❤️
Projects like this are definitely necessary around a lot of places in Europe. I remember when I was a kid I used to see a ton of butterflies and fireflies everywhere here in Croatia and even then around 20 years ago my parents told me that the number of them isn't even close to how it was when they were young. Now I barely see any butterflies in villages around mine and I'm lucky if i see 5 fireflies yearly. The situation is super bad when it comes to things like these, thank you for thinking about things nobody else really does.
I love how this video shows that humans are a part of the ecosystem too, and if we align our needs with the natural world we can thrive together. Fantastic work!
It is fascinating how doing small things can create great results and eventually, become bigger in the long run. It also demonstrates how flexible they are when it comes rewilding many areas, including a small patch of land to resemble the atmosphere of the last century. With projects like this, we either go big or go home, no matter how small.
Love to see the familiar view of european meadows and I hope they will be able to expand. The agriculture is vast and I'm personally getting sick of rapeseed fields.
Thank you for the nice comment! We are actually working on partnering with a team that works in the Rocky Mountain! Keep an eye out later this year. - Cheers, Duarte
What a beautiful, beautiful video. As you said, everyone loves butterflies - and flowers, too! It's so lovely, too, to see farm animals living a great life, and not being brought up to exploit their milk or their babies. It's inspiring to think that such a small piece of land can be so beneficial: how can anyone resist a bit of local rewilding ater seeing this? ❤
I have felt sad for a very long time over the loss of butterflies and other important insects. Over my 76 years I have seen a noticeable absence of what was once a delightful part of life. I am very pleased to see these unselfish efforts to save and assist important biodiversity, important to all life on earth. Thank you! I enjoy your well done videos immensely!!
I remember seeing a couple butterflies per year in Paris but I dont really anymore, you'd think an animal as charismatic as that could promote and protect itself but alas, youre now doing that great work
In Edmonton's North Saskatchewan River Valley(considered the longest urban green space in North America), we use goats that are trained to eat the specific invasive weeds on the riverside&parks areas. They've also been hired to clear up the land below the solar panels.
I let half of my yard grow up wild a few years ago, maybe 4 or 5 years. I have so many butterflies, and beneficial insects , like preying mantis and black and yellow garden spiders. The birds seem to follow the insects, I have so many types nesting here, that I had never seen before. I get a lot of enjoyment from it,. There is a lot of wildlife there, and I have a dog and a cat ( inside /outside). Still the birds come. Some things I need to keep out of my yard, coyotes, ground hogs and raccoons etc , which can do damage. So a little wild life area, makes a difference! To me its a compromise, between nature and I.
Gorgeous. And there’s a lot of potential for road verges in rural areas and nature strips in urban areas to host meadow plants and butterflies too. I’ve been able to plant my nature strip here in Australia with a surprising number and variety of indigenous plants. And growing grass that has a natural height of 15 cm allows it to host some local moths.
While every video you make has been awesome, this video made me tear up a little. I work with a community garden in Singapore that restored a tiny little hillside into a biodiversity hotspot, and it being the tropics, the diversity of insects is absolutely insane. We will never bring back the tiger to Singapore, but we can easily nurture the tiger butterflies, and the birdwings, and all their fluttering kin. And the more we know what really lives around us, the more we know what we have and how much it's worth, the harder we can work to protect that. Thank you for this video!
I live in Ocean City, Md, Usa. Our sand dunes are on the Monarch's migration path. It's amazing to see thousands of them each year stop here to feast on the flowers we planted.
I've wanted to turn the small backyard I have with my appartment into a wild-ish meadow. looks better than just a lawn and attracts the good insects, but no one wants to see an 'overgrown' garden in the suburbs. It's been 2 years now and just bought a pack of wildflower seeds that'll end up on dedicated meadow patch. Where that patch will be depends on where the battery of my lawnmover decides it's empty.
When I saw the ploughed field and heard the explanation, I couldn't help but think of a nature reserve near Cologne. The Wahner Heide, a former military training area where tanks are regularly driven for nature conservation reasons, as they form a special biotope by rolling around and forming grooves.
After 2 years following and supporting you on youtube you got me with the butterflies. I am oficially a Mossy Earth member supporting you every month! I hope there has been a butterfly effect! Everything you do is so important nowadays and you do it with wisdom and proper research, respecting and colaborating with the people that really know their field. It's wonderful. I wish I could be working in projects like yours, it's so inspiring! May you keep growing and inspiring the rest of world to care for what is really important!
Amazing amazing work guyz. ❤️👌 Please keep up the good work 💯 I will certainly help you and donate as much as I can after I turn 18. Please do some reforestation of native species in northern Europe like Norway, Finland etc 😊🌲
Glad you enjoyed the update and a huge thank you for the support as usual! Whether it is a partnership project or a project we setup from scratch, your funding is what makes it happen! - Cheers, Duarte
Omg I just lately saw a post about how the best indification for biodiversity are butterflies and how many organizations depend on volunteers to try to identify and count them to monitor the progress in restoration. I have been thinking of joining such org to learn more
As a shepard and someone who grazes and restores medows on coasts and forrests and old medows. using heritage breeds it is our responsibility to care for habitats that have been a co oped for several thousand years. If you want to help, start grazing on small scale (we started with 5 yews) or support local grazers. Its arduose work, summer and winter. But it is so worth it when flowers start to appear where spruses shadowed the land just a year ago
I love this! The past two years I've been turning my lawn into a meadow that will only get mowed once a year. Trying to figure out when that mowing should happen has been a struggle to find the least damaging moment. So far I've just been cutting down the annuals by hand in fall and spring to make room for more annuals. I'm worried about the perennials getting chopped every year, but we'll see!
Thank you for all your effort, everyone at mossy earth! You give me more hope for the future, despite all the destruction and change occurring in the world currently. Keep it up!
Your video's and messages give me so much hope and make me feel reassured and calm. I love to watch them before I go to sleep❤ I'm looking forward to financially support these beautiful causes in a few years
Coming from the wetlands video, I'm so moved by what you are doing for our Central European nature. Thanks to all contributors for your help! I love grazing projects here in Czechia. The wetlands are unfortunately less common, but the more succesful projects there are, the more new ones will be approved, so it was great seeing the video.
Wow! This is an amazing job @MossyEarth! I want to work in the restoration field, and I’m just getting started out of college. I hope more people understand the importance and beauty of biodiversity, and I, like you, want to see our planet heal!
So happy I finally signed up to donate. Watching this video, aside from the hope your vids always give me, I feel a sense of pride in knowing I'm playing a role. Keep up the amazing work =]
best thing about it: when you create/manage those meadows "just" for butterflies, it cannot be helped that a bunch of other insects not as spectacular or beloved will also benefit from this! well done
when I started my rewilding projects a biologist told me I shouldn't only plant trees, that meadows are incredibly biodiverse and important, and they should be preserved. In time I saw how right she is. natural meadows are a hotbed for bugs and flowers.
I totally agree with what you are doing!!!!❤😊 I have just turned my sisters small lawn into an English Flower Meadow!!!❤😊 In Britain, I believe there is now less than two percent of flower meadowswhich existed , since nineteen thirty-eight!!! And in nineteen thirty-eight, it had been badly damaged already!!!😢
half of my garden is basically wilderness which I only cut back once a year and to remove all trees growing there and I have seen butterflies and wild/bumble bees there whenever I go back there.
Guys, I'm so happy that our community is thriving. I love how you guys are so dedicated on this cause. I love you guys, thank you for making our world a better place for the future generations. May this community thrive like what you guys have been doing to our home.
🙌If you would like to help out you can become a member here: www.mossy.earth/ In addition to our own projects in places like Scotland, Portugal, Ecuador and Indonesia we also work with fantastic partners such as BROZ. A huge thank you for enabling our work! - Cheers, Duarte
I recommend all viewers become members - your money makes its way all over the world and gives a lot of bang for its buck!
So true! You don’t have to donate much if you don’t want to. Even a little bit helps! For the price of a cup of coffee house coffee you can help each month.
start converting hedgerows before stealing farmland
@@emucat1 Its marginal farmland and they are still grazing some of it.
The average person cannot re-introduce the lynx or the other amazing things you do but almost anyone can create habitiat for insects. This is a passion of mine. I live in a town and have a medium size yard that I have been converting the turf grass to native prairie. It has been gratifying to watch the different insects return and learn about them.
A fellow No-Mow!
I haven't cut my lawn in 21 years, and haven't regretted a moment of it.
The life restored to my garden is incredible. While the Neonicotinoid era did have a terrible impact here, it is still recovering steadily - with new species coming in along the way (lizards, Bullfinches, the Chimney Sweeper moth, and just a few days ago a very vibrantly coloured type of fly - or bee, maybe - that I have never seen anywhere else before).
And although you have, no doubt, added new wild flowers to your mini-prairie, I'll bet Nature has done for you as she has for me - adding new wild flowers of her own.
In that regard, the most impressive free gift was the Hemp Agrimony, which is a magnet for Red Admiral butterflies (among others).
Exactly! It is something we all can do! Maybe we should do more content on that front 🤔 - Cheers, Duarte
@@MossyEarth I for one would really love that! 🤩
Please do! I wanna do this kind of rewilding on some agricuktural land my parents own (Europe) @MossyEarth, so a guide would be great.
Please do@@MossyEarth
It's cool to see that rewilding doesn't have to be about large predators and large swathes of remote wilderness. And I tip my hat to you on pronouncing all those butterflies.
Absolutely, we still need to expand our towns and cities, so learning how to weave habitats into them will be crucial for increasing biodiversity.
I feel like his accent is really adept for pronouncing latin names. He sounds so natural! Makes me understand better how latin may have sounded.
@@MUSTASCH1O No we don't need to keep expanding our towns and cities further and further outwards. That is bad for nature and the planet. We still need more large scale nature rich landscapes as well as these smaller areas. We do need to make sure that our towns and cities are greener and good for nature also and to stop just building and destroying places and not thinking of putting back nature around where our buildings are.
@@DynamixWarePro I feel your sense of loss, but I think you are missing my point. We do need to maintain and improve large national parks, but I am saying our towns and cities should also have smaller areas and nature corridors planned into them. This will increase biodiversity compared to isolated large landscapes and expose far more people to nature.
House prices are cripplingly high in the UK and pharma and tech companies are going to America because there isn't enough lab space here. If we don't build we will be doomed to stagnation and social immobility.
Biodiversity and development aren't mutually exclusive problems if green space is planned in from the start. Nature won't be preserved unless people are exposed to it and benefit from it, so we need more of it in our settlements.
@@DynamixWarePro It's better for nature for us to live in dense walkable cities than sprawled-out suburbia or big isolated homes in the countryside.
Insect diversity is fundamental to any ecosystem, and they are usually ignored in conservation. Everybody just talks about bees.. if anything. Kudos to Mossy Earth for dedicating a whole program for them.
Agree
Plants to. Plant indentification and range opened my eyes about that.
insect populations support small mammals and lizards, amphibians, birds. I try to leave spaces in my yard for plants & insects.
I think the primary concern is that the good insects tend to share the same habitats as the famine-causing insects (such as locusts) so it's not as easy as just "bring back nature" like it would be with other flora/fauna.
Yeah and when they say bees they mean the honeybees we keep food pollinating our crops, which are livestock and not under threat like wild bees are.
It amazes me how many butterflies rely on just one plant species! The diversity of plants in habitats is so important.
Yes! There is so much people could do by just planting native plants in their gardens versus exotic ones from other continents. I've been converting my yard to native plants and it has been amazing how quick the insects return.
The same concept applies to the Famous Monarch butterflies that are native to north & central america. Their host plant are those in the Asclepios genus. aka Milkweeds. We've seen their number decline rapidly over the 20th century due to clearing once untouched wild prairie grazed by megafauna (bison) into monoculture corn fields. No prairies = less milkweeds = less monarchs. And so our solution instead of... putting in an effort to restore their habitat. We've done the classic american move and decided to sell you on planting your own milkweed in your garden to "save the monarchs". I guess it does help that milkweed's have very colorful and beautiful flowers so it's really easy to convince people to buy it lol
Yeah we have one here that depends on stinging nettles, sure its not fun to have plants that stings you in your garden but I still managed to find a spot where its not a problem for me and the butterflies have a spot. Just have to put some thought into it
@@johannahettman1773 I had the exact same realisation about stinging nettles, definitely changed how I view them
@@johannahettman1773a lot of european butterflies rely on nettles too, 6 species (Nymphalids) and probably more who have other options but often depend on nettles because the other plants aren’t available.
Also nettles make a very cool soup.
I have bought a new farm. On this farm I have 28 hectares of European primeval forest and 23 hectares of meadows. However, I have to mow these once a year to provide food for all my animals. But unlike most farmers, I only mow once. Living like this is simply much nicer than the clean forests in my old homeland. I have a lot more wild animals and insects than before. So many animals that I have never seen in my life and didn't even know existed. (Although I have always lived in nature)
Well done! Mowing once a year might even be beneficial to some species. You are doing great! - Cheers, Duarte
Lucky you. That's my dream! Well done
@@leilatanner6789 that's not luck. Since i'm out of school i worked 60-80h a week for it, 7 days a week, all my holidays i worked for someone to earn some extra money. If you wanna achive something, you have to do something for it.
@@outlawmonkey It's partly luck tho. You seem healthy and don't live in a third world country.
Really cool! But do watch out for plants like Jacobaea vulgaris since they can be toxic for cattle
If you read about nature before intensive farming and agrochemicals took over, you realise how much we have lost, when people described countryside with clouds of butterflies.
Congratulations on your work, its wonderful.
Best wishes from Wales.
Even when I was a teen in the 90s, peacock butterflies used to swarm certain flowering plants in summer. You'd see a dozen at once or more on lilac bushes and such.
Haven't seen even a single one in forever. It's so sad.
@@raraavis7782
In the UK we have huge amounts of buddleia, which is otherwise known as the butterfly bush, it grows everywhere, but hardly any butterflies.
@@pauldurkee4764
Yes, that's the one I meant. Gorgeous plant. We had one in our garden, when I was a kid. Looked and smelled so nice. And it was always covered in butterflies, when the weather was nice. Such good memories!
I haven't seen a single firefly in my backyard in the last 20 years. They used to light up the path from the gate to the door. We've lost and we keep losing so much every year it's disheartening.
@@pauldurkee4764unfortunately, buddleia is an invasive species in middle and eastern europe (it's native to China and Tibet). It takes over large areas and replaces native plants.
Sure, the butterflies like them because of the nectar, but they're much better off with plants natural to their habitat. A lot of butterflies rely on a certain plant for reproduction (laying eggs and food for the caterpillars) and buddleia isn't providing that to them.
There are native plants one can choose to plant instead, like loosestrife or three-leaved valerian.
I really appreciate the message of taking time to look more closely at a space that we see so often and don’t think about much to notice the surprising amount of biodiversity and beauty
I think it is particularly relevant for the habitats that coexist with us in close proximity. We need to appreciate them and protect them! :) Glad you enjoyed the video! - Cheers, Duarte
prairie and meadowland restoration is so important!! large scale agriculture has left it as one of the most endangered habitats....thanks for doing this
Exactly! Thank you for the support! - Cheers, Duarte
I live in a region with meadows of this kind - meaning there are only grazed by sheep to keep the soil quality poor. It attracts so many rare flowers like orchids and butterflies and insects of all kinds. It's very, very beautiful. But also very underappreciated, because not many people know what a rich ecosystem they have right in front of them.
Thank you so much for drawing attention to my beloved meadows! ♡
Clap, clap, clap! Abundant applause for those who are making the meadows.
Exactly! BROZ has many such projects and it is very very important work! - Cheers, Duarte
thank you for supporting this. Your support helped to create one small piece of heaven for so many species, including people.
Glad you enjoy the project and thank you for the support here on UA-cam! - Cheers, Duarte
Meadows can also easily be replicated in your garden. Set aside a corner, get an appropriate seed mix and mow it once in June and once in the autumn. When mowing in June, let everything lie and dry for 2-3 days to simulate making hay. Then rake it away and compost. This will help with seed dispersal as seeds drop during the drying period. It is really a low effort project
Exactly! This is something that could be widespread! - Cheers, Duarte
It is a very bad idea to mow it in June. At that time all the plants and insects are the most active and you will kill off everything thing that lives there. Much better to wait until the latter half of July to mow it. And cut it again in autumn. Of course removing the hay each time.
@@detvarsomfankanske You won't kill everything. Least of all with a hand scythe but a motor scythe is not that big of an issue either. A mulcher is really bad, but we don't use those in natural gardens anyway.
However, if you do not mow or mow too late, it causes two issues. First, many plants have already been blooming and won't come up in time before autumns. Second, the dense vegetation blocks the light close to the ground. Plants that have a later cycle or seeds that require light for germination will be at a huge disadvantage. Mowing late mainly profits the grasses which have a low biological value. These meadows have adapted to the cycle of making hay and they need that cut in June.
Of course, it is always a good idea to have a different section in your garden that is cut only once per year
@@foobar9220 Maybe you are located in a different part of the world, if so I am sorry. Were I live, in the north of Europe, everything is in full bloom and all the insects are the most active in early July. Here the hay cut traditionally started in the middle of July and went on until the middle of August, and did so for centuries.
I didn't mean that you kill all the insects, but if you cut all the flowers too early all the nectar and larval food plants will be gone.
@@detvarsomfankanske I am in southern Germany. I cut one week ago and it was definitely overdue. With the early spring we had this year, I think that 3 weeks earlier would have been the correct choice.
And of course, there are still plenty of flowers left in our garden. Here the classic rhythm was like mid June. But nowadays, farmers have a completely different rhythm.
I'm member of BROZ , really good NGO, has some diverse conservation projects
Exactly! - Cheers, Duarte
As a butterfly conservation volunteer in the UK and a meadow obsessive this video is just perfect! Such fantastic work.
Yet again another brilliant video. Please keep going. I wish there were more people like you lot.
Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the kind words :) - Cheers, Duarte
Do u know anyone doing this type of re wilding in North America
CBS Sunday Morning had a video about something similar, maybe last year, somewhere in the Midwest. Should be easy to find in their channel @@noahchevrette7485
I have about half a hectare of land in la Alpujarra, south side of Sierra Nevada, Spain. Almond, walnut and olive trees. All the land between the trees is meadow, has been for 25 years now. Before the soil was dead, fertilised with chemicals for decades. Many species of butterfly, bee, beetle etc enjoy the renovated meadows on my land. Well, I share ownership with all the plants and animals on this half hectare. Anyone reading this who has a piece of land should consider doing the same. Nice vid, thanks.
It's nice to see indigenous land management practices being revitalized even in Europe
Your reports on these rewilding projects are like healing salve on an open wound. Thank you so much for the aspiration, for the hard work, and for bringing them to us.
Glad the videos have that additional effect :) it means a lot to hear that! - Cheers, Duarte
"There is no insect as beloved as the colourful and vibrant butterfly"
Bees: 😞
They are cool too! But cmon those wings… cant compete with that! - Cheers, Duarte
BEE SUPREMACY!🗣️💯🔥
Wooly Aphids are also cute a.f ..albeit bad for plants
bees have a larger perceived negative: their stingers
the most a butterfly can do is land on you and lick you. this is seen as attractive. so the argument for them over bees is pretty strong
I study forestry in Germany. We looked at several amazing projects with grasers (mostly goats and cattle) in the forests, where they keep small areas open and very bright. There where explosions of biodiversity there. Simply amazing!
Comment for the algorithm! I'm glad to be supporting the Mossy Earth. Your work is just incredible!
Patrik
Thank you for the support over the years mate! - Cheers, Duarte
This is BY FAR the most uplifting and beautiful video i have seen on UA-cam EVER. As a 14-year old norwegian that has been fascinated and obsessed with entomology for my whole life, me and insects all around the globe are thanking you hardworking, kind and amazing people at Mossy Earth and all of its members. Insects are very often forgotten in conservation work, which is so sad to see, as they are extremely crucial and important to all ecosystems worldwide, and without them, we humans would never survive. In recent years insect populations worldwide has declined massively, mainly due to habitat loss. I am so happy that someone finally are doing some amazing and serious habitat restoration trying to protect and help these beautiful insects. My main interest has always been beetles (Coleoptera), and seeing someone finally mention these cute dung-loving beetles almost makes me cry in happiness. If you were to search for weevils in the family Apionidae here, I think you would find an amazing amount of species of them, as they are often tightly asscosiated with specific, rare meadow and sun-loving flowering plants. KEEP UP THE AMAZING CONSERVATION WORK, IT REALLY MATTERS!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Here in Norway we sadly lost an entire butterfly species a few years ago, due to habitat loss. It was the beautiful blue Plebejus argyrognomon, asscosiated with the plant Astragalus glycyphyllos. May it rest in peace ❤
The little guys in the ecosystem always gets looked over by the larger predators and animals so its great to see you all caring for all types of life in these videos. Thanks for all you do!
i am currently studying Environmental sciences and hope to help the world just as much as you all when i done with schooling
The little guys provide the canvas for the others
Imagine if we could do this in suburban america. All these monoculture grass yards managed by HOAs could actually be used for something environmentally beneficial.
This reminds me something similar that my city did. There is a patch of land on the registry building and it has a no mow zone, specifically for butterflies. Even though the patch is like 20m by 25m it’s still exciting to see in the middle of a city. And yes I do see butterflies when I go past it 😊
At my stable we have a field that grows tall every year for hay, in addition to the fields for the horses. This year with all the rain we’ve been getting in south Germany everything was full of flowers, I saw so many insects and butterflies it was great!
Videos like this make me really happy to be a Mossy Earth member. Especially when these projects happen so close to home (I live like 65 km from Beckov). I really appreciate you guys! And BROZ of course!
You should definitely go visit this meadow! It will be beautiful all summer! - Cheers, Duarte
There’s this large field behind my house, with some forested areas surrounding it, with a stream that leads into a lake farther back. The lake is relatively undeveloped, but the scary thing is the land behind my house is owned by a rich developer who is planning on developing the land in the next 5-6 years. I wish I had you guys around right now.
I once heard an idea to plant some endangered plants that are illegal to uproot in areas like that, don't know if it would work though lol. or attract protected species there and report them.
@@ablah949probably need to consult with an environmentalist that knew how to keep secrets and find a rare plant that historically would have been present in the area.
That's not a bad idea; are there any incentives for conservation available where you live?
Glad I am a member. I’m a great fan of butterflies and other insects, and have rewilded my garden. I don’t have many bare earth / ploughed / disturbed areas such as you’ve skilfully shown here, so will try to do some of that. Sadly, in the UK we only have about 30% of the species which exist on mainland Europe, so showing the gorgeous European ones I can never see over here, was great! Thank you so much, and please create more videos, showing the English names of other insects. 🤩❤️
Projects like this are definitely necessary around a lot of places in Europe.
I remember when I was a kid I used to see a ton of butterflies and fireflies everywhere here in Croatia and even then around 20 years ago my parents told me that the number of them isn't even close to how it was when they were young.
Now I barely see any butterflies in villages around mine and I'm lucky if i see 5 fireflies yearly. The situation is super bad when it comes to things like these, thank you for thinking about things nobody else really does.
I love how this video shows that humans are a part of the ecosystem too, and if we align our needs with the natural world we can thrive together. Fantastic work!
It is fascinating how doing small things can create great results and eventually, become bigger in the long run. It also demonstrates how flexible they are when it comes rewilding many areas, including a small patch of land to resemble the atmosphere of the last century. With projects like this, we either go big or go home, no matter how small.
Love to see the familiar view of european meadows and I hope they will be able to expand. The agriculture is vast and I'm personally getting sick of rapeseed fields.
You know, the agriculture multimillionaires like butterflies too 😉😅
Keep up the great work repairing our earth and spreading the word. Loving you guys all the way from the rockies.
Thank you for the nice comment! We are actually working on partnering with a team that works in the Rocky Mountain! Keep an eye out later this year. - Cheers, Duarte
What a beautiful, beautiful video. As you said, everyone loves butterflies - and flowers, too! It's so lovely, too, to see farm animals living a great life, and not being brought up to exploit their milk or their babies. It's inspiring to think that such a small piece of land can be so beneficial: how can anyone resist a bit of local rewilding ater seeing this? ❤
I have felt sad for a very long time over the loss of butterflies and other important insects. Over my 76 years I have seen a noticeable absence of what was once a delightful part of life. I am very pleased to see these unselfish efforts to save and assist important biodiversity, important to all life on earth. Thank you! I enjoy your well done videos immensely!!
I remember seeing a couple butterflies per year in Paris but I dont really anymore, you'd think an animal as charismatic as that could promote and protect itself but alas, youre now doing that great work
Thanks
One of the best videos yet... something we can all do.And please do a video about the CAP.
In Edmonton's North Saskatchewan River Valley(considered the longest urban green space in North America), we use goats that are trained to eat the specific invasive weeds on the riverside&parks areas. They've also been hired to clear up the land below the solar panels.
I let half of my yard grow up wild a few years ago, maybe 4 or 5 years. I have so many butterflies, and beneficial insects , like preying mantis and black and yellow garden spiders. The birds seem to follow the insects, I have so many types nesting here, that I had never seen before. I get a lot of enjoyment from it,. There is a lot of wildlife there, and I have a dog and a cat ( inside /outside). Still the birds come. Some things I need to keep out of my yard, coyotes, ground hogs and raccoons etc , which can do damage. So a little wild life area, makes a difference! To me its a compromise, between nature and I.
Well done! This is the change we need in our landscapes! - Cheers, Duarte
Gorgeous. And there’s a lot of potential for road verges in rural areas and nature strips in urban areas to host meadow plants and butterflies too. I’ve been able to plant my nature strip here in Australia with a surprising number and variety of indigenous plants. And growing grass that has a natural height of 15 cm allows it to host some local moths.
While every video you make has been awesome, this video made me tear up a little. I work with a community garden in Singapore that restored a tiny little hillside into a biodiversity hotspot, and it being the tropics, the diversity of insects is absolutely insane. We will never bring back the tiger to Singapore, but we can easily nurture the tiger butterflies, and the birdwings, and all their fluttering kin. And the more we know what really lives around us, the more we know what we have and how much it's worth, the harder we can work to protect that. Thank you for this video!
I live in Ocean City, Md, Usa. Our sand dunes are on the Monarch's migration path. It's amazing to see thousands of them each year stop here to feast on the flowers we planted.
I've wanted to turn the small backyard I have with my appartment into a wild-ish meadow. looks better than just a lawn and attracts the good insects, but no one wants to see an 'overgrown' garden in the suburbs. It's been 2 years now and just bought a pack of wildflower seeds that'll end up on dedicated meadow patch. Where that patch will be depends on where the battery of my lawnmover decides it's empty.
Good stuff, let the neighbors moan if they moan. 🌻😎👍
When I saw the ploughed field and heard the explanation, I couldn't help but think of a nature reserve near Cologne.
The Wahner Heide, a former military training area where tanks are regularly driven for nature conservation reasons, as they form a special biotope by rolling around and forming grooves.
After 2 years following and supporting you on youtube you got me with the butterflies. I am oficially a Mossy Earth member supporting you every month! I hope there has been a butterfly effect! Everything you do is so important nowadays and you do it with wisdom and proper research, respecting and colaborating with the people that really know their field. It's wonderful. I wish I could be working in projects like yours, it's so inspiring! May you keep growing and inspiring the rest of world to care for what is really important!
It is really soothing to see the work you are doing with every part of different ecosystems - Love from France
Amazing amazing work guyz. ❤️👌
Please keep up the good work 💯
I will certainly help you and donate as much as I can after I turn 18.
Please do some reforestation of native species in northern Europe like Norway, Finland etc 😊🌲
Thank you for the support and hopefully one day we can work in the nordics :) - Cheers, Duarte
I love watching all the different ways you work on behalf of us members for the good of the planet!!
Glad you enjoyed the update and a huge thank you for the support as usual! Whether it is a partnership project or a project we setup from scratch, your funding is what makes it happen! - Cheers, Duarte
7:30 as a person who keeps coming back to rural area sometimes, this situation immediately put me in a very relatable predicament. (Cute Goat)
Omg I just lately saw a post about how the best indification for biodiversity are butterflies and how many organizations depend on volunteers to try to identify and count them to monitor the progress in restoration. I have been thinking of joining such org to learn more
😍
This is beautiful! Thank you for your work!
Back in the 60s I recall many different species in the backyard. Now, I rarely see any!
Sad to hear this! Hopefully with some effort people can start bringing meadows back to the landscape. - Cheers, Duarte
I have a wildflower area in my garden, but so few butterflies this year in my garden and locally in general
Love you guys
Thank you Blake! - Cheers, Duarte
Happy to see and support this awesome practical service to our world. THANK YOU from New Zealand!
I miss butterflies. Peacock butterflies used to be everywhere, when I was a kid. Now I haven't seen one in forever.
This is great theres an awesome meadow near me thats brimming with butterflies and crickets
It is a little bit of magic usually forgotten right under our noses :) - Cheers, Duarte
The happiness my Mossy Earth membership gives me is worth far more than I pay! Amazing work as always. Loving it.
Love to see you help animals of all sizes! :)
As a shepard and someone who grazes and restores medows on coasts and forrests and old medows.
using heritage breeds it is our responsibility to care for habitats that have been a co oped for several thousand years.
If you want to help, start grazing on small scale (we started with 5 yews) or support local grazers.
Its arduose work, summer and winter. But it is so worth it when flowers start to appear where spruses shadowed the land just a year ago
I love this! The past two years I've been turning my lawn into a meadow that will only get mowed once a year. Trying to figure out when that mowing should happen has been a struggle to find the least damaging moment. So far I've just been cutting down the annuals by hand in fall and spring to make room for more annuals. I'm worried about the perennials getting chopped every year, but we'll see!
Always happy to see another Mossy Earth video, give me hope for humanity !
Thank you for all your effort, everyone at mossy earth! You give me more hope for the future, despite all the destruction and change occurring in the world currently. Keep it up!
Grateful to support your work!
Your video's and messages give me so much hope and make me feel reassured and calm. I love to watch them before I go to sleep❤ I'm looking forward to financially support these beautiful causes in a few years
Great video as always, looking forward to the next one :) Glad to see protection for the insects we all depend on.
Thank you so Much!
Thank you for the support! - Cheers, Duarte
They are so ethereal those butterflies, great work for many generations to enjoy it
Amazing seeing the variety of projects you commit yourselves to, such encouragement for the future!
Lol. You haven’t seen large monoculture until you come to the American midwest and see Kansas and Nebraska.
What a beautiful world we are living in. 🦋🦋
Your videos are such a ray of hope. Thank you for all that you're doing!
Coming from the wetlands video, I'm so moved by what you are doing for our Central European nature. Thanks to all contributors for your help! I love grazing projects here in Czechia. The wetlands are unfortunately less common, but the more succesful projects there are, the more new ones will be approved, so it was great seeing the video.
Wow! This is an amazing job @MossyEarth! I want to work in the restoration field, and I’m just getting started out of college. I hope more people understand the importance and beauty of biodiversity, and I, like you, want to see our planet heal!
Love this & that you're supporting the fence, etc. They're so beautiful.
So happy I finally signed up to donate. Watching this video, aside from the hope your vids always give me, I feel a sense of pride in knowing I'm playing a role. Keep up the amazing work =]
I loved seeing all the beautiful butterflies, and learning more about the type of habitat they inhabit. Thanks for all you do!
best thing about it: when you create/manage those meadows "just" for butterflies, it cannot be helped that a bunch of other insects not as spectacular or beloved will also benefit from this! well done
Amazing work, so beautiful and important!
This is so beautiful!!
Good luck with it! I am learning so much from this!!
Absolutely great approach and work done. Both Mossy Earth and BROZ. Thx for doing it.
We need to support the local farms that are applying these practices !
Beautiful! Thank you very much for all the hard work you do and investments you make. And for showing us these wonderful results! 😊🦋
Its just straight up awesome that you are preserving the things the public hasnt noticed yet. You guys are doing some great work!
This is beautiful. Thank you for all your work!
Always looking forward to a new video from you guys!
You can expect about 2 per month until the end of the year! - Cheers, Duarte
when I started my rewilding projects a biologist told me I shouldn't only plant trees, that meadows are incredibly biodiverse and important, and they should be preserved. In time I saw how right she is. natural meadows are a hotbed for bugs and flowers.
Best channel on UA-cam. Hope everyone can see this page
Thank you SO much for helping the butterflies!
And thank you for the nice comment :) - Cheers, Duarte
I am pleased to support Mossy Earth to do projects like this one.
I totally agree with what you are doing!!!!❤😊 I have just turned my sisters small lawn into an English Flower Meadow!!!❤😊 In Britain, I believe there is now less than two percent of flower meadowswhich existed , since nineteen thirty-eight!!! And in nineteen thirty-eight, it had been badly damaged already!!!😢
Thank you from Slovakia.
Thanks for sharing! Another great project
I like butterflies so much that I got my act together and became a member 😍
Every video makes me proud of my donation, thanks for what y’all do
half of my garden is basically wilderness which I only cut back once a year and to remove all trees growing there and I have seen butterflies and wild/bumble bees there whenever I go back there.
Guys, I'm so happy that our community is thriving. I love how you guys are so dedicated on this cause. I love you guys, thank you for making our world a better place for the future generations. May this community thrive like what you guys have been doing to our home.