Upward bound

My name is Helga Hummel and I am now surrounded by the hustle and bustle of my family, in the middle of another relocation. We bumblebees long for stability and are tired of moving. We have left our former home, idyllically situated at the foot of the mountain, behind us. Now we have climbed high up, always following the flowers with their sweet nectar, which have migrated from our old home to cooler mountain regions.

My thick fur also shows that I feel uncomfortable in a climate that is too warm. Leaving our hometown was a necessary and painful step, but up here, where the air is thinner, we can also feel the changes. The flowers sometimes begin to bloom even before we wake from our winter slumber, forcing us to adjust our annual routines.

I miss my friends, the black-shouldered shieldbugs and the red-barbed ants, with whom I spent so many great moments. But they could not accompany us on this long journey. And now, as I wonder what is waiting for us further up the mountain, I am shocked to see that there are only sparse scree slopes. An unsettling thought: where will the flowers and plants take root if the temperatures continue to rise?