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March 2025
The Sun InterviewBy Mark LevitonHive MindLars Chittka on the Surprising Brainpower of Bees

Chittka: For me, understanding the minds of bees and other animals inspires a new respect for nature. Many conservation efforts—and there are a lot of people trying to rescue what’s left of the natural world—are motivated by the utility of these animals. This is especially the case with bees and insects. Many people are aware that bees are in trouble and that we ought to do something to help them, because they pollinate our crops. Many fruits and vegetables depend on bees’ pollination services: for example, melons, tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, zucchini, pumpkins, cherries, cucumbers, squash, apples, and citrus fruits.
But that approach can’t work overall. If you’re really trying to protect nature, then it’s a complete package with many species, including annoying ones like wasps. So in addition to the utility argument, we must recognize that many of the animals around us are likely sentient—and thus quite possibly capable of experiencing the deterioration of their habitats. This creates a responsibility for us to do something about it.
Readers WriteBy Our ReadersChores
On a solo backpacking trip, in a desert military base, at a church revival

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Joshua Sage

Joshua Sage lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and his work has been published in Pilgrimage. He took this month’s cover photograph on Vashon Island, Washington, while waiting to officiate the wedding of some close friends. The ceremony took place in an old teak house from Indonesia that had been restored, disassembled, and then shipped to the U.S. The boy in the photo is the groom’s nephew.

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