DownUnder

Is there such a thing as a good bug or are all bugs bad? After all, they inflict pain, annoyance and harm on people. Many avoid insects as pests or worse, have an inordinate fear of them. what can be worse than a multi-legged, ugly looking , stinkbug. which is making an irritating noise flying overhead? The perception begins in childhood when terms such as disgusting, yuckie and horrible(accompanied by the appropriate amount of screeches and screams)and is epitomized later by adult arachnophobia, as an example. We are in an age of conservation and environmental preservation. Yet, we use a panoply of pesticides and other chemicals to beautify our landscapes, groom our lawns and make life as comfortable as possible. We teach our children that all bugs are an inconvenience to an enjoyable outdoors or worse need to be extirpated to avoid any possibility of disease. What is the impact on the rest of the flora and fauna around us?The largest member of the animal kingdom, the yuckies actually provide great benefit to the earth and mankind which is eclipsed along the way because to survive and reproduce insects may sting, bite and forage destroying valuable crops. Does not man do the same?What goes on in an average compost pile passes the interest of or is avoided by most people. In the world of DownUnder, five children under the watchful and caring eyes of their grandparents explore an average heap of autumn’s leftovers. They soon discover that this is a very busy dynamic place alive with all sorts of critters helping Mother Nature complete its cycle of renewal. What happens there? What can wrong? Does the activity of humans impact this activity? How so?DownUnder has been expressly written to address the misperception of the insect world which is largely adversarial. It is based on current research with a touch of anthropomorphism to create an engaging adventure story for children. The intent is to raise an appreciation of this largest of unexplored worlds on the planet and to change traditional perceptions passed from generation to generation. Life for the insect is very much like our own-unfair and messy but essential for survival.