Let's help our friends the BBCT help our friends the Bees!

Did you know that during the winter time there isn’t a single male bee anywhere!? The pregnant female queens will be deep in hibernation until the spring when they emerge and lay this years generation of bees.

 As I am sure you will be aware, pollinators are a vital part of sustaining ecosystems and so are beneficial to all life all the way up the food chain! Findings from the Bumblebee Distribution Map Scheme (BDMS) show declines in several UK associated species since 1960.  The RSPB looks forward to working closely with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to conserve the Great Yellow Bumblebee and the other species that depend on the distinctive flower-rich habitat.

 “Over the next few weeks visitors to the 'Live For the Outdoors' website will get the chance to choose their most worthwhile outdoor project.

Six projects from different groups are presented and then there will be a 10 day window in which people can vote. The winner gains up to EUR30,000 to support their project work.

The award is being offered by the EOG Association for Conservation. This is a group of outdoor brands and retailers that give money directly to conservation projects worldwide. So far they have supported 21 projects to the tune of EUR500,000. Member brands in the UK include Berghaus, Lowe Alpine UK, Haglöfs, Pertex, The North Face, Grangers, Nikwax, Paramo, Snugpack, SGB Magazine.

 The Bumblebee Conservation Trust (and 5 others) are part of a competition to win funding for a current project. They will create a wildflower-rich habitat to support rare bumblebees along a new 10km path in the Pembrokeshire National Park. By connecting key sites, this attractive route through spectacular scenery will help prevent the national extinction of the shrill carder bee.

 This is a fantastic opportunity to help a really rare bumblebee and create a lovely place for a walk! Your vote will help us to introduce wildflowers along a new path through previously-restricted MoD land at Castlemartin and create wildflower-rich meadows nearby.

This will provide essential bumblebee habitat and also create pretty places full of flowers, bees and butterflies for everyone to enjoy.

Bumblebees are vital to us as they pollinate many wildflowers and important crops, so it is imperative that we look after them. The project can make a real difference as Pembrokeshire supports many bumblebee species, including the very rare shrill carder bee (a handsome little bumblebee with a high-pitched buzz!).

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and the MoD have already offered to support this exciting project if they can find funding”.

 So please vote for the bumblebees!  ( http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/news.htm )

You can also help by providing the right conditions to help your local bee’s flourish in the coming year by planning and creating a wildlife friendly garden with wild flowers and insect homes. To find out what else you can do please register with our Homes for Wildlife project and tell us all about it here in the forums!

Thanks for reading!