Message from the Vice Principal: Ants

Insect species are the most diverse groups of living animals in the world. There are millions of them translating to over 90% of animals on the globe. Currently, over 925,000 species of insects have been identified and one species that we are all familiar with is the humble ant. Love them or hate them, they are everywhere. Often going about their business causing no harm, but get too close and they will let you know that you are intruding on their territory. 

A colony of ants can have over 10,000 other ants with no group identified as leaders, in fact the most striking feature in the management of ant colonies is that there is no management. The ants we see coming in and out of a colony are aware of everything that is going on around them and instantly respond to the logistical needs of the group and colony to keep it safe.

It seems that the ants we can see coming in and out of the colony divide themselves into certain sectors to handle all the logistical needs, including food, shelter and the security of their colony. Some of these categories include: forager ants, the ants who go out in search of food and bring it back to the nest; patroller ants, which go out of the nest prior to the forager ants to make sure that a path is safe to traverse; the engineers, which take care of the maintenance of the nest; and the last group, which manages the waste materials of the nest.

They all act selflessly in order to keep the colony safe by simply being aware of everything happening around them and responding in the interests of the colony or community. The security in the colony of knowing that everyone is working towards a common goal keeps it safe at all times and all this happens without the need of a management or hierarchy, the ants simply respond appropriately and sensibly. 

We as humans have much to learn from ants in the way they solve problems without anyone in charge using simple interactions, and being aware of what’s going on around them. When it comes to dropping or collecting students at the end of the day, lets all be more ant like and think of the safety of all in our community.

Mike Wolfe