Martijn Peters (HLN science expert) has been fascinated by insects his whole life. The fact that they’re not doing well and that they need our help is why he’s an ambassador for HLN and Natuurpunt’s Summer of Insects. Read his story here.
As a little boy, you will often find him in his garden or in a forest with a net and a butterfly box. Use them to catch insects, study them, and then release them. “I well remember how I ran in the garden behind the beautiful Queen Page. That was the absolute butterfly to catch. But even so, during my elementary school years, I went hunting for magical glow-worms and amazing wasps. Or I looked for dragonflies at lightning speed when I went hunting with My grandfather. So the interest in the wonderful microscopic world of insects has always been there, ”says Martin Peters.
And even now he is constantly looking for six-legged specimens while playing with his children. Or he makes videos about strange specimens on his body TikTok channel and other social media. “There is a wonderful world beneath our feet full of amazing and often bizarre creatures. It really is worth stopping for a moment and taking a closer look. You’ll probably be surprised at what you see.” Although Martijn immediately warns us: “Be careful, because the emotion that insects unleash in humans is very contagious.”
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But during all those explorations, something struck him, especially in recent years. “I saw less and less insects. Some of the species I used to encounter now seem to have vanished. Numerous scientific studies in recent years have confirmed my gut feeling: our insects are in great decline. And that’s a big problem. Youngsters are the ones who are the ones who are the ones who are the ones I used to encounter.” Who make the world go round. Which is it. Nature and we need bugs too. We simply cannot do without them. We will miss our bugs more than we realize.”
So he didn’t hesitate for long when the question came to support HLN and Natuurpunt’s summer bug. “Insects contribute a lot to our world. So when the question came to lend a hand to them, I immediately agreed. By mapping the insects that live in our Flemish gardens and nature together, we will be able to get a better picture of how they really work. To measure, they say, is to know.” And the deeper we know, the more efficiently we can protect our insects. Anyway, I think it’s a great initiative.”
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Martijn himself is already an avid user of Natuurpunt’s ObsIdentify app. “I’ve been collecting creatures using the app for a while now. It’s very easy to use and I’m learning a lot from it. Not just about insects, but our animals and plants in general. You can also use it for mushrooms or birds. As a science communicator, I think it’s very cool to see That you can teach people something in a fun way. It’s kind of like catching Pokemon, but with an educational layer underneath. I’m a fan. I’m definitely going out this summer and hopefully the rest of Flanders too. It’s worth it out there.”
Martijn also tells us that he will share with us the exceptional specimens found while working with us on HLN. Plus, he and experts from Natuurpunt are also searching for the gems of the Flemish entomologist in a brand-new video series. Want to help map our insects, just like Martijn? All information can be found at Summer insect page. So don’t hit this summer, but text.
look. Join HLN in the summer of bugs
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