The Change Makers
A podcast celebrating the remarkable not for profit people dedicating their careers to making positive change.
We'll be talking to society's fixers, menders, mopper-uppers and fighters about why they do their job, what they see in their work and why it matters.
The Change Makers
Matt Shardlow, Buglife on why bugs matter, and the enormity of the fight to protect invertebrates.
Without bugs, we would be in trouble. Their numbers are declining rapidly.
Invertebrates, which are any animal without a backbone, such as starfish, snails, worms and wasps, make up the biggest proportion of life on earth. And they're important. They pollinate crops and are responsible for 1 in 3 of the mouthfuls of food we eat. They control pests, they are a food source for animals and they break down organic matter left by other animals. To quote Sir David Attenborough, without them, the world’s eco systems will collapse.
Matt Shardlow is an environmental scientist and chief executive of Buglife, the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates. We look into the reasons bugs are struggling to survive, the successful projects he's overseen and how they're attempting to challenge what we all think about bugs. We also discuss the significant change left to be achieved, and what drives him, the boy who you'd always find looking under logs as a child, to keep going.
You won't look at bugs the same way again.
- Find out more about Buglife, the Bugs Matter campaign and how to become a member.
- Read Buglife's most recent report from their Bugs Matters campaign.
- Visit the NFU website.
- If you'd like to get in touch with The Change Makers team, email thechangemakerspod@gmail.com or find us on Instagram, @thechangemakers.