Kurt Meyer writes a weekly column for the Nora Springs – Rockford Register and the Substack newsletter Showing Up, where this essay first appeared. He served as chair of the executive committee (the equivalent of board chair) of Americans for Democratic Action, America’s most experienced liberal organization.

Lines written by Samuel Coleridge 200 years ago, in 1825:

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair—
The bees are stirring—birds are on the wing— […]
Work without Hope draws nectar in a sieve,
And Hope without an object cannot live.

It’s an early reference to “the birds and the bees,” (although Coleridge inverts the order), a familiar euphemism for a conversation parents should have with their children. But the poet also mentions work and hope, relevant to this ramble since major doses of both are needed for society to address a serious birds’ and bees’ situation—literally the birds and the bees—and their rapidly diminishing populations. 

Preparing these paragraphs, I was struck by how often the same words or phrases are used to describe the population drop-off now experienced by birds and bees: alarming / widespread / dire / a looming crisis / steep, long-term losses / staggering / devastating / shocking / ominous / mounting evidence / astounding / urgent / unsustainable / full-on emergency.

For example, I encountered one bird-related headline with three blaring sirens. “Scientists issue urgent warning after alarming collapse of bird populations across the US: ‘We have a full-on emergency‘” This came in response to the “2025 State of the Birds” report released in March by a coalition led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. There’s simply no hedging here… remember, this assessment comes from scientists, a profession disinclined toward hyperbole.

A few bird-related statistics. North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, approximately one in every four birds. In North America, three-fourths of bird species are declining spanning almost all habitats. Some 229 species are of high or moderate concern due to low populations and now require urgent intervention. More than 90 percent of losses (2.5+ billion birds) come from twelve bird families, including common birds like sparrows, blackbirds, warblers, and finches.

Now, let’s turn our attention to bees, since bee populations are declining at comparable rates. Native wild bees have experienced a steady, significant drop-off; some populations are now endangered due to climate change, pesticides, and habitat loss. However, it’s easier to track losses among managed honeybees. In the last two decades, beekeepers report an average of 40 percent annual colony loss, twice the 15-20 percent rate considered sustainable. Between June 2024 and March 2025, commercial beekeepers experienced a 62 percent loss, with a startling projection for calendar year 2025: 70 percent. Yikes!

When USDA scientists sought to understand these record-breaking losses (efforts hindered by funding cuts and layoffs) invasive, parasitic mites were identified as the primary cause. Unfortunately, in the last four decades, mites have developed a resistance to “amitraz,” the only mite-specific pesticide currently available. Effective new compounds are difficult to develop, especially given reduced resources and personnel.

Mites spread single-strand RNA viruses. While employing emerging RNA technology might eventually generate immunity protection from such viruses, knowledgeable experts report that this potential solution is still years away from being deployed outside the lab.

Bear in mind, it’s not just our nation’s honey supply that’s under siege here. One of every three bites of food we take depends on honeybees for pollination. Honeybees pollinate more than 90 commercial crops in the United States and generate between $20 billion and $30 billion in agricultural revenue. Obviously, honeybees are mighty essential to maintaining a stable U.S. food supply. 

So, given these alarming, widespread, dire, staggering, devastating, shocking, ominous, unsustainable trend lines (pick one, maybe two of these adjectives…), what are we to do? Due to the size and dimension of the various challenges outlined above, there’s not a great deal that can be done individually. Small steps, sure, but it’s apparent that larger collective action is required.

Despite our temporary (?) federal government paralysis, an effective strategy requires decision makers in Washington and in our state capitals to allocate research funding and then develop, coordinate, and implement long-term action plans. This is where Coleridge’s reference to work and hope come in. 

The birds and the bees are likely to do their part, if we only give them a chance. So, what would you say the odds are of that happening?   

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Top photo is by Jessica Bolser of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: This eastern bluebird was spotted at Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa, March 29, 2017, available via Wikimedia Commons.