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ArtistIn times of climate change, many species of animals and plants teeter on the brink of extinction. Over 14,000 species are listed as directly threatened by rising temperatures. For example, higher temperatures and earlier flowering of vegetation in spring confuse vitally important pollinators like bumblebees. Bumblebees are failing to shift along with northward creep of vegetation. Bumblebees are vulnerable to temperature extremes, so populations at the southern borders of bumblebee habitats are succumbing to higher temperatures while failing to keep up with the northward shift of vegetation. Scientists confirm that sightings of bumblebees have dropped significantly. Bumblebees are crucial “buzz pollinators” – some plants rely on these insects for fruit production. The dream shows a large, intricate cherry tomato vine with many sprays of cherry tomatoes in bloom. Where the blooms have fallen off, the unpollinated calyxes are empty. The tomato vine is surrounded by a host of ghost bumblebees – that is, imagined perfect bumblebees rendered in transparent blue buzzing around the tomato vine. The tomato vine itself is naturalistically rendered in delicate watercolor as a biological illustration with scientific precision.
Where have the pollinators of these cherry tomatoes gone? Can't they keep up with our changing climate? We need a predictably stable and diverse population of flora and fauna.
