Dear Sir,

I don’t get up and close to nature these days as I used to when I was a little boy. Every now and than I would collide with a bee either riding my motorcycle or walking along the roadways but not to much of that seems to happen any more.

I also remember those many nights, mostly during the summer, while driving along, when hundreds of frogs used to come out of the marsh to cross the roads under the threat of losing their lives. I don’t see that any more.

Is there some part of nature in Bermuda that is dying off?

I grew up in the Marsh Folly East area and I always remember the abundance of bees, dragonflies, butterflies, lady bugs and all the other kinds of wildlife that roamed my neighbourhood and the countryside around us. They were common during my childhood, now must of them seem very scarce today and I ask myself, why?

What poisonous chemicals or detergents that we may have been using could have caused such devastation among our wildlife? Has the Government done any investigations into those activities that may have been causing such irresponsible annihilation of our natural environment?

I have sat in many of our parks and open spaces, walked along much of the shoreline around Bermuda and have noticed drastic changes even in the ocean around us.

I have noticed that some of the fish that I remembered swimming in the waters are just not there any more and I’m wondering why. Is the Government looking into what seems to be a mysterious march towards death and destruction of the creatures of nature in Bermuda?

Not only am I not seeing some of the wild common insects that helped to rejuvenate and pollinate those wild plants that once beautified Bermuda over the many seasons but some of those same plants that used to grow all over the countryside I no longer see very often.

It is said that infrastructure and development is a good thing and that may well be, but do we do it all to the detriment of all things natural? What harms are we bringing to ourselves in the long run, or are we taking any of the above negative changes to nature seriously enough?

One of the most wonderful things about life growing up over the years during the summer time was going down to the north shore and watching the tide come and go and all the wonderful sea creatures swimming about the water.

One of the biggest highlights of the day was when Bob Battersbee, a well-known and popular fisherman back in the day, used to return after a day’s fishing. I used to be excited by the different types, colours and sizes of fish in his boat.

If anybody remembers Bob, he did not have a big fancy fishing boat. I remember him having up to at least three small dinghies with an outboard motor and one that was always full of fish nets.

The sad thing about the above, Mr Editor, is not only are those wonderful old days of a natural Bermuda gone and not coming back, but it seems that most of those things which made Bermuda seem so naturally alive and bountiful over past summers and across the entire Bermudian landscape are dying and leaving us for ever as well.

E. MCNEIL STOVELL

Pembroke