British bee lovers aim to save the sound of summer

British campaign to boost bee numbers. Image by Ronald Saunders / CC BY-SA 2.0

People are being urged to take part in a bumblebee recording scheme as part of a campaign to boost the numbers of the insect.

The three-year Pollinating The Peak initiative, run by Bumblebee Conservation Trust, aims to make a difference to the UK’s struggling bumblebee populations by creating bee habitats across the Peak District and encouraging communities to join in the BeeWalk survey.

Of the UK’s 24 bumblebee species, two – short-haired bumblebee and cullum’s bumblebee – have become nationally extinct in the last 80 years, with the former being reintroduced after an absence of 25 years. Seven species are in decline, and 11 are of conservation importance, the trust said.

The project is seeking volunteers to identify and count the bumblebees they see on an hour’s fixed walk each month up to October.

All data collected will contribute to the monitoring of bumblebee populations in response to changes in land-use and climate change.

Gill Perkins, Bumblebee Conservation Trust conservation manager, said: “Bumblebees keep us healthy by pollinating our fruit and vegetables, but they’re in trouble.

“Their populations have crashed, with some species already extinct and others threatened. We want to raise awareness about these iconic insects and how we can all help save the sound of summer.”

The campaign kicked off with a Pollination Conference at Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel Theatre and featured interactive workshops, beekeeping and cookery demonstrations, films and children’s activities.

As a lasting legacy, an oak bumblebee – created by wood sculptor Andrew Frost and commissioned by Chesterfield Borough Council – was unveiled in the churchyard at the town’s St Mary’s Church.

Peter Corke, sustainability officer at Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “One in three mouthfuls of our food are thanks to bees, and we can take action to help them – including by managing gardens and land in a pollinator-friendly way.”

For more information on becoming a BeeWalker and to access identification resources, visit http://bumblebeeconservation.org/get-involved/surveys/beewalk.

The initiative is being run in partnership with Chatsworth and Chesterfield Borough Council, HSG UK, Little Green Space, Moors For The Future Partnership and Plain Green.

(Press Association)