“Diligence in Stewardship: Lessons from Ants for Environmental Justice.”
By
Andy (Kwaku) Kusi-Appiah, for Black Ottawa Scene (BOS)
—-
“It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make
the difference. My little thing is planting trees.”
Wangari Maathai
Abstract
This article explores how the tiny ant[1], one of Earth’s most industrious and intelligent creature, offers powerful lessons for humanity’s ongoing quest for environmental justice. Drawing insights from Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, the paper reveals how diligence, cooperation, and foresight are sacred virtues mirrored in the ant’s daily life. The article contemplates how the scientific understanding of the ant’s intelligence and the spiritual wisdom celebrated across major faiths can together inspire a renewed sense of stewardship, one that urges humanity to live responsibly, care for creation, and nurture harmony between human progress and the planet’s well-being.
Keywords: Diligence, Stewardship, Faith, Ants, Swarm Intelligence, Environmental Justice, Sustainability, Interfaith Ethics
Introduction: wisdom in small things:
In almost every garden, field, and sidewalk crack, the ant goes about its daily work, quietly, persistently, purposefully. To many, this tiny creature appears ordinary, even insignificant. Yet within its miniature world lies a blueprint for survival, cooperation, and diligence that has allowed ants to thrive for over one hundred million years.
The late Professor Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel laureate, once said, “It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference.” (Maathai, 2007). In that spirit, the ant’s steady, unseen labour reflects the essence of environmental justice: transformation through collective small acts, sustained by purpose and faith.
Humanity today faces an era of environmental reckoning. Climate change, deforestation, pollution, and loss of biodiversity have threatened the balance that sustains life. The pursuit of environmental justice demands that we not only restore the Earth’s ecosystems but also reawaken our moral and spiritual responsibility toward them. The ant, in its diligence and foresight, offers a profound model for this stewardship, a reminder that care for the planet begins in the smallest of deeds. The ant takes only what it needs, wastes nothing, and ensures that its community endures. In this, it becomes nature’s quiet environmentalist.
The Wisdom of the Ant: intelligence & industry in nature:
Ants are among the most intelligent of non-human beings, though their intelligence is not individual but collective. Through pheromones and intricate communication, they coordinate vast colonies where each member plays a role, gathering food, nurturing larvae, maintaining infrastructure, or defending the nest.
Ant societies model sustainability, they recycle nutrients, enrich the soil, and maintain the natural equilibrium of their surroundings. Their behaviour embodies an ethic of balance. They take only what they need and give back to the environment by performing essential ecological functions. Their success arises not from competition or greed, but from cooperation and foresight.
Scientists describe this as swarm intelligence: the ability of many simple beings to produce complex, adaptive systems without central control (Khanna et al, 2015; Karaboga, 2010; Okubo, 1986). Swarm intelligence is observed in various natural systems, such as flocks of birds, schools of fish, herds of animals, and colonies of ants (Khanna et al, 2015). These systems are characterized by decentralization, where no single individual controls the entire system, and self-organization, where the system adapts and organizes itself without external direction.
Swarm Intelligence:
The concept of swarm intelligence has been studied in various fields, including biology, physics, and computer science (Khanna et al, 2015; Karaboga, 2010; Okubo, 1986). While it is difficult to attribute the concept to a single person, the modern framework and term “swarm intelligence” were popularized by Dr. Gerardo Beni and Jing Wang in 1989 (Roy et al., 2014; Beni & Wang, 1989).
Researchers like Craig Reynolds (1987), who simulated flocking behaviour, and Marco Dorigo (2004), who developed ant colony optimization algorithms, have also made significant contributions to the development of swarm intelligence. Today, swarm intelligence continues to be an active area of research, with applications in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, optimization problems, and biological modeling. The study of swarm intelligence has led to a deeper understanding of complex systems and has inspired new approaches to problem-solving and decision-making (Dorigo & Stützle, 2004; Reynolds, 1987).
Ants exhibit swarm intelligence, they represent the collective behaviour of decentralized, self-organized systems where individual components interact with each other and their environment to achieve a common goal or adapt to changing conditions. This theory explains how complex patterns and behaviours emerge from simple rules and interactions.
In contrast, humanity often acts as if separate from nature, extracting, consuming, and discarding without restraint. The ant’s wisdom reminds us that our own survival depends upon restoring balance. It challenges us to adopt a quieter, steadier intelligence, one rooted in community, discipline, and respect for the natural order (Loreau, 2023; Ghosal, et al. 2023; Franco, 2013).
Faith & the Ant: diligence as a universal spiritual value
The admiration for the ant as a model of virtue transcends geography, history, and religion. Across the world’s major faiths, this small creature is celebrated as a teacher of moral discipline and a symbol of the divine harmony that sustains life.
Christianity & Judaism: wisdom in labour
In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Proverbs presents the ant as a model of prudence:
“It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” (Proverbs 6:7, NIV).
This passage illustrates the ant’s autonomy and foresight, qualities that lie at the heart of stewardship. Within Jewish and Christian traditions, work and responsibility are sacred acts, ways of participating in God’s creation. The Jewish concept of tikkun olam, meaning “repairing the world,” mirrors the ant’s persistence and its contribution to the collective good. Both traditions affirm that diligence is not only a moral virtue but a divine calling to sustain and nurture life. In Proverbs 6:6 (NIV), the faithful are admonished to: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise…”
Islam: balance & stewardship
In Islam, the ant is honored as a symbol of wisdom and faith. Surah An-Naml (The Ant), 27:18–19 recounts how the Prophet Solomon overheard an ant warning her community of his approaching army. He smiled, recognizing her intelligence, and thanked God for the lesson.
This moment in the Qur’an reveals that even the smallest creatures carry divine wisdom. Islam teaches that humans are khalifah, stewards of the Earth, entrusted with maintaining its balance (mizan). The ant, working with purpose and cooperation, models this balance perfectly. In its humility and industry, it fulfills the role humans often neglect, that is, caretaker of the environment, and servant of creation (Genesis 2:5 clearly annunciates what humans were created to do).
Hinduism: selfless action & discipline
In Hindu philosophy, all life is interconnected through the divine essence, or Atman. The Panchatantra and Hitopadesha texts counsel, “The wise man should observe the ways of the ant, the crane, and the path-cutter.” The ant’s disciplined labour reflects karma yoga; the path of selfless action performed without attachment to personal reward.
The ant’s constant work for the well-being of the colony mirrors the Hindu principle of dharma, duty fulfilled in harmony with cosmic order. The ant becomes a living parable of perseverance, urging humans to perform their duties toward the planet faithfully and without hesitation.
Buddhism: diligence as enlightenment
In Buddhism, diligence (viriya) is one of the Six Perfections, a quality essential to spiritual awakening. The Dhammapada teaches: “The wise, who heed the warning of the lazy, like a bad friend, are not lazy; they attain the state of the far shore.”
The ant’s tireless movement through the world, focused, mindful, and cooperative, embodies this principle. Its life is a lesson in balance and interdependence. In Buddhist ecology, harming the environment disrupts not just ecosystems but the spiritual harmony that binds all beings. The ant’s diligence reflects the path of right action, work done without ego, for the good of all (Harvey, 2013; Keown, 2004).
Sikhism: work, service, & community
Sikhism teaches that honest labour (kirat karni), generosity (vand chakna), and selfless service (seva) are expressions of divine love. Each ant in a colony works for the collective good, embodying these values naturally (Sikh Missionary Society, n.d).
Guru Nanak emphasized that all creation reflects the divine. To work diligently and share selflessly is to live in hukam, alignment with God’s will. The ant’s quiet persistence mirrors the Sikh spirit of chardi kala, resilient optimism and faith in the face of adversity. Through its labour, the ant becomes a humble example of sacred service to creation. Across all faiths, the ant is not merely an insect but a teacher, a messenger of moral discipline and ecological wisdom.
Diligence & Stewardship: lessons for environmental justice:
From an ecological and spiritual perspective, diligence is more than activity, it is purposeful effort aimed at sustaining life. The ant teaches that consistent, cooperative labor produces balance and longevity. Humanity’s environmental crises: climate instability, pollution, and inequality, demand this same spirit of perseverance and foresight.
Environmental justice, at its core, requires collective stewardship. Like the ant colony, human societies must act as interconnected systems, where everyone contributes to the welfare of the whole. Such stewardship involves planning, moderating consumption, and ensuring that environmental care is accessible and equitable.
The ant’s foresight: storing provisions in summer to survive winter, symbolizes sustainable living. It reminds us that the future depends on what we do today. This ethic, echoed in every major faith, urges a transformation of both mindset and behaviour: from exploitation to care, from waste to renewal, from greed to gratitude.
Faith in Action: building a shared moral vision for planet Earth:
In a diverse city like Ottawa, where multiple faiths and cultures coexist, the ant’s lesson resonates deeply. Faith-based communities have the moral and social power to lead by example. Churches, Mosques, Temples, Gurdwaras, and meditation centers can become centers of environmental education and action, organizing clean-up drives, tree-planting programs, or sustainability workshops.
Such local actions, inspired by global wisdom, embody Wangari Maathai’s belief that “little things” done by many people can create great change. When believers of all backgrounds unite under the shared values of diligence and stewardship, they affirm a sacred truth: that caring for the Earth is a form of worship, and justice for the planet is inseparable from justice for its people. To be a diligent steward of the Earth is to honour the divine in creation and the humanity in one another, for we were put on this Earth to take care of the environment, a river flows through your veins, you are the environment!
Conclusion: the smallest, but mighty teacher:
The ant, though often unseen, stands as a living parable for our age. Across the sacred texts of the world’s great religions, it represents diligence, foresight, and cooperation, virtues that humanity must now reclaim. Its way of life, humble yet effective, calls us to a renewed partnership with the Earth.
Environmental justice is not only about conservation; it is about cultivating the moral and spiritual discipline to live wisely within creation. The ant’s story reminds us that the future depends not on grand gestures, but on small, consistent acts performed with love and purpose. As Wangari Maathai taught, it is the little things that make the difference. If we, like the ant, live diligently, work cooperatively, and care for our shared home, we can build a world where both people and the planet may flourish in balance and peace.
Works Cited:
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Dorigo, M., & Stützle, T. (2004). Ant colony optimization. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/1290.001.0001
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[1] Ants belong to the class of Insecta, which includes all insects such as bees and wasps. Ants are part of the order Hymenoptera and the family Formicidae.
About the Author
Andy (Kwaku) Kusi-Appiah is a writer, educator, researcher and community advocate based in Ottawa. With a passion for ecology, and social justice, among other environmental themes, Kwaku explores the intersections of spirituality and sustainability in contemporary life. Kwaku contributes regularly to Black Ottawa Scene (BOS), highlighting stories that inspire unity, resilience, and environmental awareness within Ottawa’s diverse communities.