Biodiversity is life. Biodiversity is our life.

So the title of this blog entry is also the tagline for 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, as decreed by the United Nations.  The reason nobody knows this is b/c as Americans we don't pay much attention to the UN.  The only reason I happen to know this bit of trivia is b/c I recently googled the word 'biodiversity' and wikipedia filled me in.  Thank you father interweb.  [In writing this I've come upon a realization...perhaps the paradox of our day.  On the one hand, let's say the right hand, large segments of our population are becoming increasingly insulated (and insolent) in their world view as delivered to them by their local fox new affiliate; on the other hand, the left hand, large segments of our population spend half their waking hours equally isolated in their more virtual existence as global citizens of the world wide web.]

Come to think of it, the www is the perfect analogy to discuss the concept of biodiversity, especially when dealing with a group of iGen kids.  There's another bit of trivia for you, blogosphere faithfuls, the current generation (I think 14 and under, maybe 12) has been declared the 'iGeneration'.  I witnessed the appropriateness of this moniker on the bus today as a screaming toddler was subdued at once when handed mom's cell phone.  (of course said toddler's two older bros started hitting each other and screaming in order to earn similar privileges, but as the 3rd of 4 brothers, there's a nostalgic charm to the sound of fraternal fray.)  But I digress...biodiversity, the world wide web.  Now that I think about it some more, the www doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of true biodiversity.

The world is literally teaming with life.  Sure, a lot of the cool stuff is dying off thanks to the perturbations brought on by their hominoid brother, us, but it teams none the less.  I highly encourage carrying around a magnifying glass.  I started doing so by accident, but now I reach for it almost reflexively if I have more than 30 seconds to kill (like a 6th grader reaches for their cellphone).  I had it yesterday on top of Hellmut's roof while cleaning out the gutters.  The sludge of errant forest debris, rain-water & sand-sized gravel roofing grit turns out to be a pretty good place to live for quite a few species of wigglies (non-scientific term).  And this doesn't even begin to account for the micro-organisms all around us (and inside of us).  Biodiversity if life.  Biodiversity is our life.  It's starting to make more sense now.      

E.O. Wilson said that when we lose biodiversity we risk having the whole web of life fall apart.  In other words, biodiversity is the fabric with which the web of life is woven.  No species is an island, and every time one is lost, more than just that species is affected, sometimes severely. Here's a fun activity - think of how the other species of the world would be affected if we disappeared.  Perhaps our dogs would miss us, but even our dogs would adjust.  Because that's what the world does, it self-regulates.  When the equilibrium is wronged, like one of those boats that can't sink, it does what it needs to do to right itself.

So here's to 2010, the Year of Biodiversity.  Not only the fabric of the web of life, but of the safety net as well.  Even if we 'wise men' don't survive ourselves, something will.  It may not have the intelligence to create political factions, make things explode, or even understand it's own importance to the universe, but it will be life none the less, and therefore miraculous.  If you'd like to learn more about 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, check it out next time you're communing with your global community:  http://www.unep.org/iyb/.  And if you're looking for a way to celebrate, here's 3 possibilities:  a) go pick up a magnifying glass; b) take the time to thank your local micro-organisms, they got your back; or c) take part in the Bioblitz going on at the Arboretum in a couple weeks (May21/22).