It's About the Little Guys: Why You Should Stop and Smell the Roses, and Then Check Out the Bugs on Them, Too

jASMINE kASPER

It is a scorchingly hot summer day and you are at a theme park with your family. You are fully immersed in the atmosphere here as the rollercoasters woosh past, the smell of popcorn from vendors fills the air, and children cheer as they wait in line to meet one of their favorite characters -- but wait! You spot something moving on the ground and suddenly you are fully focused on this seemingly insignificant speck. What is it, you might ask, that drew your attention away from the excitement around you? Why, it's a freshly metamorphosed American toadlet, also known as Anaxyrus americanus! They are extremely common, so much so that you frequently see them hop through your garden at home. Despite this, you find spotting this tiny toad a thrilling experience.

If you don't remember ever being in this situation before, that's because you haven't. However, I was. During a family trip to Valley Fair, a popular theme park in Minnesota, I found myself distracted by just how many hundreds of very small, very young toadlets were hopping across the festival grounds. Unfortunately for the toadlets, very few other people noticed them. There were more squished than there were alive by the late afternoon. I watched in horror as a young mom rolled her baby's stroller over several toads without batting an eye and many people
stepped straight onto them as they walked toward the bathrooms.

This memory has stuck with me for years because it exemplifies a very common trait: We are all ignorant about the little things we don't realize matter. No one intended to squish the toads, but perhaps if they had stopped, taken just a moment, and noticed them, they would have been more careful about their footsteps. Events just like this one happen in our day-to-day lives constantly. There is so much information available, but we only really absorb a fraction of it. To gain a better understanding and appreciation of the world around us, I believe it's critical to take a look at the small, ignored, seemingly insignificant aspects that we typically fail to notice.

Let's take, for instance, bugs. Bugs are everywhere! According to the American Museum of Natural History, insects represent about 40% of all known living species. Furthermore, the total biomass of annelids (segmented worms) and terrestrial arthropods (insects and other bugs such as spiders) on Earth is more than six and half times the total biomass of all the humans on Earth. Although bugs greatly outnumber us, we tend to think of them as minuscule pests that deserve to be squashed, crushed, and stepped on. Many people go as far as villainizing bugs even if they provide helpful benefits.

While the "Save the Bees" movement popularized bees as cute, friendly pollinators who help flowers grow, it did little to improve the status of other pollinators. Wasps are incredibly helpful pollinators who work overtime. These insects also eat pests that destroy crops, which makes them a great neighbor for any farmer or backyard gardener. Wasps still have a bad reputation, though. They're known to be overly aggressive, stinging anyone who comes near multiple times. Because of this perception, wasps' nests are frequently sprayed with poison and removed when they are built near people's homes and workplaces.

Would you believe that you can befriend your local wasps and bees? This is entirely possible and quite simple to do. Recent studies have shown that at least certain species of wasps and bees can recognize and differentiate between different human faces -- which means they can also distinguish humans who are kind from those who mean harm. At first, the insects may be aggressive, but they can be quickly taught that you are not a threat if you provide them with food and water.

For a few summers, my family had wild bees living in an unused chiminea, which is sort of like an outdoor fireplace shaped like a clay pot. At first, we didn't realize why we had so many bees in our backyard garden. There weren't too many plants, so we chalked up the population to the small lot of wildflowers next door. However, we quickly realized that the bees became particularly agitated when we got closer to the chiminea and they flew in and out of the main opening rapidly. However, this behavior didn't last long.

We left the bees alone for the most part. We never sprayed them, swatted at them, or applied dangerous insecticides to our garden beds. They were perfectly happy to bounce from flower to flower in the vegetable garden as long as we kept our distance. My parents would leave some extra water out for them on hot days, and within a couple of weeks, the bees no longer cared when there were people in the backyard. You could get within six inches of a bee busily collecting nectar and pollen from a flower without a fuss. If they did feel threatened, they would fly in one large swoop nearby to say, "Keep away from this area, we're working here." In the evenings, bumblebees would climb into the pumpkin vines' flowers to sleep overnight. I accidentally woke up a disgruntled but unaggressive bee in the early morning on more than one occasion.

Allowing the bees to remain on our property unbothered mutually benefited everyone. The bees were given a safe place for their hive and our garden flourished with their help. We also learned that it was possible to comfortably coexist with hundreds of bees traveling in and out of our backyard every day. Being able to observe the insects' behavior up close was educational, too. Watching them drink nectar and collect pollen in their pollen baskets (which look like big, yellow leg warmers on their back legs once they are full) from just a few inches away helped me alleviate any anxiety I still had about the busy pollinators. Bees became just another typical part of the garden instead of something to fear. Because we didn't follow other people's advice to get rid of them, my family was able to learn about the value of having pollinators living close to both decorative and food-producing plants firsthand.

Bugs play a critical role in nearly every ecosystem on Earth -- including the ones we live in. Without bugs, our lives would be much, much different. Decomposers convert organic matter into healthy, rich soil. Pollinators allow many kinds of plants to reproduce and grow edible fruits. Even pesky insects and grubs feed other organisms in their ecosystems, such as birds, bats, and fish. Instead of squashing the next weird-looking beetle that wanders through your yard, consider taking a closer look. Where is it going? What is it doing? If you have a moment, use your phone and attempt to find out what species it is. Learning about the bugs that live in your area can help you make more informed decisions, such as which ones are dangerous, which ones cause no harm, and which ones are beneficial. Once you understand them, you'll be able to tell which ones are helping your garden, even if they appear scary, just like wasps.

On the topic of gardens, have you ever stopped and really considered how a plant experiences life? While this may sound like a ridiculous question, plants have many diverse qualities. You probably have spent some time looking at the different flowers on plants since we value how pretty they are, but have you noticed the tiny, spiral-shaped tendrils that pea plants reach out with? What about the way raspberry canes tip over so that they can grow fresh roots in a new spot, creating a larger raspberry patch every season? Did you know that some flowers only open in the moonlight? There is an incredible variety of plants across the globe and in your backyard. Some of the most interesting ones may be hiding in plain sight.

I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to visit Hawai'i a few years ago. My grandpa drove us to Volcano National Park which is located on the big island of Hawai'i and encompasses two of the world's most active volcanoes. When we were there, you could stand at the observation deck and see vapor billowing from down below. Although the volcanoes are incredibly impressive, there was something else that caught my attention.

I noticed some small plants on the ground, no more than a few inches tall, when we stepped out of our rented car. They were unusually familiar. Growing up, my mom had bought me "sensitive plants" to grow several times. These are tiny fern-like plants that react to touch. When they detect any bit of pressure on their leaves, the leaves tightly fold up. After just a few minutes, the leaves will unfold and you can annoy the plant again if you wanted to. I crouched down in the parking lot full of other tourists and touched one of the sprouts. To my surprise, it quickly folded up. I stood back up to share the exciting news with my family so that they could try bothering the plants, as well. Evidently, the other tourists heard what I was explaining about the sensitive plants, too. Many of the people in the parking lot began to crouch down and gently
poke at the plants for themselves.

There were no signs about the tiny plants, but they added a considerable amount of excitement to my visit to Volcano National Park. They enriched the experiences of other guests, too. Furthermore, noticing them inspired me to do some research. I wondered to myself, "Is this where they come from? Were the seeds I grew as a kid from Hawai'i?" They were not. The sensitive plant, or Mimosa pudica, is considered an invasive species on all of the Hawai'ian islands. If I hadn't stopped to look at the weedy little plants in the parking lot, I wouldn't have made this positive memory or learned this information. Taking just a moment of my time to investigate past the main attraction of the National Park rewarded me, my family, and the people who happened to be nearby.

Many people are uninformed about the plants we utilize on a daily basis, too, let alone the ones we do not purposefully cultivate. Wildflowers are a great example of how a wild, native species can grow to be seen as a pest. Goldenrod is a tall, yellow flowering plant that fills Illinois roadsides in the last summer and fall -- but it gets removed from lawns and isn't sold by most stores during planting season. Why? Its golden appearance makes it seem like it is covered in pollen, a primary source of seasonal allergies. However, goldenrod produces little pollen. Ragweed, a plain-looking plant that blooms during the same time of year, is the real culprit. This confusion causes fields of goldenrod to be cut down while fields of ragweed are left alone to continue irritating any allergy sufferers.

Milkweed is another native plant that we shouldn't be removing. You may have heard that milkweed is the only source of food for monarch butterfly caterpillars. The monarch is a large, orange, white, and black colored butterfly that migrates from as far north as Canada to as far south as Mexico every year. Unfortunately, the milkweed plant is dying out and monarchs have become endangered. Milkweed numbers in Illinois have dwindled due to the use of agricultural and consumer herbicides, also known as weedkillers. Despite its name, milkweed is not a weedy plant. It grows slowly and doesn't choke out other plants that are growing in the same area. There is no real need to remove it from your garden or unoccupied fields.

Goldenrod and milkweed both suffer from the same problem: most people just don't know enough about them to understand. The social belief that these plants cause harm and thus should be removed is inherently more harmful than the plants' mere existence. If you never spent time watching the plants, observing their impact, would you believe anything different? Schools don't often educate us about the value of native plants, despite the fact that we can frequently see them out of school windows. Without guidance, we may never think much about them at all. But, once you do think about the role they play in our ecosystems, it's hard to deny they're more than pesky annoyances. Like any organism, they have specific roles that they fulfill as long as they are around.

Protecting wildflowers is simple. Most native species are already growing in the conditions they prefer, even if that means they're on the edges of your lawn, climbing up a fence, or in a swampy ditch at the side of the road. Allowing wildflowers such as goldenrod and milkweed to grow on your property benefits you and many bugs (as well as the animals who eat those bugs, too). They feed a wide variety of creatures and add beauty to the landscape. For you, in particular, milkweed plants also open up access to fun opportunities to contribute towards butterfly conservation. There are a variety of organizations across North America that encourage citizens to count and report the number of monarch eggs, caterpillars, and butterflies they see on their property. This information helps scientists determine how the monarchs are migrating and estimate their population. Who knew that leaving "weeds" on your property was actually a wonderful way to support local species, beautify the land, and contribute to butterfly conservation?

Another largely ignored element of the landscape is rocks. While every single rock may not be particularly intriguing, many rocks contain fossils: remnants of organisms who lived long, long ago. You may have never noticed before, but fossils are not so exceedingly rare despite the process of fossilization itself being relatively rare. Paleontologists at the University of California Museum of Paleontology estimate that less than 10% of the organisms alive today will be preserved as fossils. In order to be preserved, the conditions must be perfect. However, this doesn't mean you can't find fossils right under your nose today.

Have you ever been in a parking lot made of crushed limestone? The white-gray rocks are a common choice for covering parking lots and walking trails, so there's a very good chance you may have been at one recently. Limestone is made up of mostly calcite and dolomite (two common minerals) and is very likely to contain small fossils. Looking carefully at any pile of crushed limestone rocks should result in finding at least one or two. The fossils may not be in museum-quality condition, but they are still ancient fossilized organisms that lived millions of years in the past.

The other week, I decided to go rock-hunting. I set out with nothing particular in mind, but within an hour, I had found more stones with fossils in them than I could fit in my winter coat's pockets. I began my search in a crushed limestone lot down the road from my apartment. Ignoring the cars zipping past on the road, I scoured through the rocks, searching for any indication of fossils. It can be quite difficult to discern fossils from any other stone. However, with a little bit of practice, anyone can pick up the skill.

An example of an indication you may notice is a small, perfectly circular shape on a rock; this often tells you that there is a piece of a crinoid inside. A crinoid is an ancient sea creature related to starfish and sea urchins that had many long, tubular limbs. It may be rare to find a whole fossilized crinoid, but it is very easy to find a piece of a fossilized appendage. During my recent rock-hunting trip, I found an immense amount of these small fossils. The rounded limbs are often embedded in a stone but partially exposed so that you can see them in a hollow space, barely lower than the rest of the stone's surface. At just 1/16th to one-quarter of an inch across, spotting them is a challenge. Rest assured, you will most likely find one if you look for just fifteen to twenty minutes.

Another common type of fossil that I found nearby is brachiopods. Brachiopods are ancient marine animals that are similar to clams. Their shells can vary in size and shape, but it is fairly easy to find ones that are around the size of a dime or nickel. I was able to find a few embedded in the smooth river rocks outside of my apartment. In addition, I was able to find a fossilized piece of sea sponge and a chunk of fossilized coral in the same area. Despite living in this apartment building since August last year, I had never noticed these fossils sitting a paltry few steps outside of my front door. All it took to uncover them was a couple moments of focus supported by my previous experience.

With no more than a few hours of practice and searching, you could collect a variety of fossilized organisms from the rocks used to simply fill drainage areas and cover parking lots. Although these rocks go overlooked on the regular, they can be full of surprises. You might never know there are so many fossils around you unless you decided to randomly stare at the stones under your shoes. Fossils are a great reminder that millions of years before you were here, there were other animals here, too. They can inspire us to seek out more information about the history of the environment around us, decorate our shelves, and teach us about the past. However, we need to notice them before they provide any of these benefits. A pile of stones may be seen as worthless junk, but to the right person, they might contain something quite valuable.

A piece of advice I try to take seriously is the old adage, "Stop and smell the roses." This phrase encourages you to take a moment and appreciate the beauty which has always been around you. In our day-to-day lives, we are habitually blind to a lot of small, trivial-feeling aspects of life. Sometimes this looks like a young woman stepping on a toad because she is distracted by the excitement of a busy theme park. Other times it looks like a frightened teen spraying the wasp nest next to his bedroom window or a grandmother pulling native flowers out of her garden beds. Sometimes it is even as simple as a child waiting at a bus stop, completely unaware of the copious fossils in the rocks at his feet. Throughout each day, we all pass by a plethora of opportunities to understand and appreciate the little things on a deeper level. But this
isn't on purpose.

To gain a better understanding and appreciation of the world around us, I believe it's critical to take a look at the small, ignored, seemingly insignificant aspects of life that we typically fail to notice. All it takes is a few moments of curiosity. Digging deeper into small subjects continually enriches our lives and the lives of others. When we learn to appreciate what once seemed worthless, it becomes easier to see the inherent value of even the tiniest component of the environment. So, the next time a bunch of flowers catches your eye, don't forget to stop and smell them, take a closer look, and appreciate the minuscule, but endlessly enamoring aspects of the world around you.

Jasmine Kasper is a multimedia artist and writer who focuses on nature, environmental stewardship, and health. Her goal is to make learning about the world around us a fun, positive experience. You can often find her outdoors, creating art, or frantically researching something interesting to share with others. Visit her portfolio website jasminekasper.com or get in touch over email at officialjasminekasper@gmail.com.