Hi NBD - Re 'extant' - one of my favourite words and I wrote my reply before reading yours - but knowledge of German helps here - as it is the one Latin word describing that state of existing in the here and now. Re 'extinction': Saw program on bees and insects yesterday; Seems we need to grow more flower meadows - (Wiesen) - farmers in England and Europe have for a long time now also done the mono-culture thing and latest scientific research, thinking - ah well, who knew? - is that bees and insects need flowers to survive.
So now experiments have been made with planting strips between farms with the old-fashioned meadow and meadow flowers and lo and behold bees and insects are returning. I have decided to put more rosemary bushes into my garden, and some native flowering bushes, but not before YOU arrive - too much work, but I seem to have enough insects, because of the trees gums, which flower twice a year. Tau
