She sings her song in May.
In the middle of June she changes her tune,In July she flies away."
Are those lines familiar to you?
They may well be, but I'm sure that many of today's children have never heard of them. The reason? Sad to say, we seem to have said farewell to the cuckoo.
When did you last hear the cuckoo's song?
A year ago . . . three years . . . five years . . . ?
And, tell me, when did you last see a hedgehog . . . or a thrush . . . or a sparrow?
If you live in London, as I do, hedgehogs, thrushes and sparrows will be no more than a distant memory. You don't notice when such creatures are slipping out of your life, it's only after they've been absent for quite a while that you realise with sorrow what you've lost.In fact, such has been the sharp decline in hedgehogs nationwide that, as you probably know, this has been named 'Hedgehog Awareness Week'.
But let's look at the broader picture.
Why does it matter that we're in the middle of the sixth mass extinction? It matters because, one day, that extinction could well extend to us. True, there's no obvious reason why human beings should need cuckoos for their survival. But just think about it for a moment. The entire natural world is a story of balance, of integration, of interdependence.
Ultimately, for our survival, we need air, water and food. And, however clever and independent we think we are, however skilled in science, technology, and the production of artificial intelligence, humanity is totally reliant on the natural world to provide the essentials for life.
Moreover, the trees, plants and insects involved in providing our essential requirements, will only provide them whilst remaining part of a balanced, multi-layered environment.
We are not above or outside the natural world, we are an integral part of its beauty and complexity.
Nor is it just a question of the wildlife becoming extinct. Have you noticed how the planet is responding in other ways to our thoughtless and destructive imprint?This week alone, tornadoes have swept across central America; a series of earthquakes have given rise to a large volcanic eruption in Hawaii prompting further earthquakes; hundreds have been displaced in Kenya's floods; an extensive sink-hole has appeared in New Zealand; and unprecedented dust storms have caused havoc in northern India. On a happier note, here, in the UK. we've enjoyed the hottest May Bank Holiday on record.
And all that has happened in just one week.
But, who knows, even at this late stage there could still be time for us to weave a supportive pattern in the environmental tapestry . . . perhaps even encouraging the cuckoo to return.
How sad were it to be remembered as no more than the mechanical inhabitant of a clock.
Click here to remind yourself of the cuckoo's evocative song, and ponder as you do so on these sobering facts . . . our Earth is finite, and there's no such thing as Planet B.
