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of the world": not just a changing climate but also the widespread conversion, via urbanization, agricultural intensification and so on, of natural spaces into human ones, with fewer and fewer resources "left over" for nonhuman creatures to live on. What resources remain are often contaminated. Hans de Kroon characterizes the life of many modern insects as trying to survive from one dwindling oasis to the next but with "a desert in between, and at worst it's a poisonous desert." In the United States, scientists recently found the population of monarch butterflies fell by go percent in the last 20 years, a loss of goo million individuals; the rusty -patched bumblebee, which once lived in 28 states, dropped by 87 percent over the same period." -- B. Jarvis 7_1 "Prior to its listing as endangered in 2017, the species experienced a widespread and steep decline. The exact cause of the decline is unknown, but evidence suggests a synergistic interaction between an introduced pathogen and exposure to pesticides, specifically insecticides and fungicides, which was also noted in the species assessment. The species status assessment notes that the remaining populations are exposed to several interacting stressors, including pathogens, pesticides, habitat loss and degradation, non-native and managed bees, the effects of climate change and small population biology. These stressors likely operate independently and synergistically. For example, dietary stress due to insufficient floral resources may reduce an individual's resiliency to pathogens and pesticides, exposure to insecticides can reduce resistance to disease and exposure to fungicides can increase insecticide toxicity. "Saving a species from extinction is a group effort, with partners from national conservation organizations and agencies to local communities and citizens, we can't do this alone" said Charlie Wooley, regional director for the Great Lakes Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "This is a great opportunity for those who live in the range of the rusty patched bumble bee to get involved in recovery, whether you live in a rural setting or urban areas where we're finding the species. We encourage everyone to help by learning more about this interesting bee and providing flowers for pollen and nectar. Together we can make sure this important native pollinator doesn't slip away." The final recovery plan for the rusty patched bumble bee includes actions such as land management to improve floral resources and measures to reduce exposure to pesticides and disease -causing pathogens. Raising awareness about the species and engaging private citizens and groups are also key to recovery." - US Fish & Wildlife Service "Ecosystems function locally. And every time you lose a species from your ecosystem, it functions more poorly. Species have the potential to sink or save the ecosystem, depending on the circumstances. Knowing that we must preserve ecosystems with as many of their interacting species as possible defines our challenge in no uncertain terms. It helps us to focus on the ecosystem as an integrated functioning unit, and it deemphasizes the conservation of single species. Surely this more comprehensive approach is the way to go." — Douglas W. Tallamy It is increasingly clear that much of our wildlife will not be able to survive unless food, shelter, and nest sites can be found in suburban habitats. And because it is we who decide which plants will grow in our gardens, the responsibility for our nation's biodiversity lies largely with us. Which animals will make it and which will not? We help make this decision every time It 4 we plant or remove r)r something from AWit our yards. — Doug Tallamy, Bringing Nature Home, zoo7 Og M