Dec 13, 2010

Macro Monday - Sunshine in a Flower

Nothing says sunshine like a field of sunflowers, bobbing their yellow heads on a warm fall day.



The closer you get, the brighter they seem. It is no wonder they are called SUN-flowers.



This little bee enjoys the sun too.



On a more serious note, bees are suffering from Colony Collapse Disorder and they need our help. As the populations dwindle we will see an increase in prices at the grocery store for just about every food item. Bees are not only producers of honey and beeswax but they also play an integral part in pollination. Many of the things we eat and that our livestock eats require this pollination to produce fruits, vegetables, nuts and seed. The effects of the decreasing bee population are enormous but unfortunately the ordinary person is not aware of it. If you are in the USA there is a great program called The Great Sunflower Project. The object is to monitor your local bee population. But this is not just in North America.In many European countries there has been a decline as well. I do not know what programs they have for naturalists so if you know of any, leave a comment. There is also a lot of information on the Internet, just Google "Colony Collapse". The most recent theory suggests pesticides are to blame but there are other suspects. Anyhow, please take the time to make yourself aware of the problem and share with your family and friends.

For more macros, please visit: http://lisaschaos.com/.



~Jessica~

4 comments:

Kim, USA said...

Great shot!
Macro Monday

The Powells said...

I love the last shot! (the other two are great too. don't get me wrong) But I just love the colors and composition, excellent work!

Rue said...

Wonderful pics!

I worry about the bees too - so I always plant bee-friendly flowers in my garden. But the wasps...ugh!

Anonymous said...

The news about declining bee populations is certainly ominous and in stark contrast to your bright and beautiful sunflower images.

A Science Daily article from October attributes two causes: a moth virus called insect iridescent virus (IIV) 6 and a fungal parasite called Nosema. More information can be found at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101007183018.htm