Written by: Kiara Korten
It is as though I am constantly finding out some new, amazing facts about the complexities and intelligence of the natural world around me. For instance, legumes have the remarkable ability to fix nitrogen, ants and aphids share a mutualistic relationship, fungi are more closely related to humans than to plants, and most recently, dung beetles use star light as navigation. They use light indicators from the Milky Way to roll their dung balls in a straight line.
My initial reaction was one of awe. But, upon further reflection, I had to question why does this surprise me and likely others? It is our human-centered world view. These facts are amazing and new to us because it is unfathomable to imagine other species capable of the same things we are and often surpassing our abilities.
It is the same reason we find nature documentaries so thrilling and entertaining; they offer a glimpse into a world that, despite being our own, feels unfamiliar. In western culture, we rely on scientific facts to recognize and value the natural world, instead of fostering intrinsic feelings of respect for the planet that sustains us.
Of course a dung beetle can follow the star’s patterns. Nature is inherently intelligent. The Gaia Principle, formulated by chemist James Lovelock and co-developed by microbiologist Lynn Margulis, suggests that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings to form a self-regulating system that maintains conditions for life on Earth. While critics argue that the Gaia Principle lacks a clear mechanistic explanation and is more metaphorical than scientific, is that not what we need more of? Maybe this metaphor is precisely what we need to cultivate an intuitive reverence for this planet.
By embodying our feelings and thinking abstractly we make real progress in our attitudes towards Earth, its inhabitants, and its crises. Shortly after learning about the dung beetle’s relationship to the stars, I learned that light pollution significantly impacts them. When the night sky is obscured by surrounding lights, dung beetles often switch to a simpler beaconing strategy, which involves moving towards bright artificial lights. This can lead them astray, causing them to move in unintended directions and potentially exposing them to predators or other dangers.
What inconsiderate roommates we have become. Perhaps if we processed how important the world outside of us is, down to a dung beetle, the ways in which we operate would be more aware and sustainable. We need all life on earth to maintain the resilient balance that binds us together.