How can we do this?

DESIGN and BUILD spaces for pollinators to thrive; working with businesses, local authorities and community groups. Each space is different and designed to cater for the specific environment it sits within. This will ensure the longevity of these spaces and the wildlife they support. 

Building networks between likeminded groups acting as a point of contact for those working towards a shared aim of protecting pollinator populations. 

Selecting a carefully chosen range of trees, flowers, herbs and shrubs and enriching biodiversity as much as possible, with a special focus on pollinators. We hope these spaces will be enjoyed by people and pollinators for many years to come.

ENGAGE with local and national governments to help develop strategies and guarantee a future for all of us. 

Working with public and private organisation to help them maximise the biodiversity value of their land as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility obligations. 

What are pollinators and why are they important? 

A pollinator is any animal or agent that moves pollen to a plant and so allows fertilisation. The process of fertilisation enables plants to reproduce by developing seed. Seed is often associated with a plant’s fruit, which plants use to attract animals as a means to disperse their seed. Some of the most effective pollinators include bumblebees, solitary bees, wasps, honeybees, flies, hoverflies, moths, butterflies, and some beetles.

Did you know:

• Pollinators facilitate reproduction in 90% of the world’s flowering plants.
• Without pollinators, the diversity of fresh, nutrient-rich produce would dramatically decline. We would essentially become much more dependent upon staple crops such as cereals, roots and tubers and a limited range of fruit and vegetables. There would also be no chocolate.

Our reliance on pollinators is likely to increase. As economies develop, diets tend to shift from staple crops (which typically have low, or no dependency on pollinators) towards being based on a more diverse mix of foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and other foods which are often heavily reliant on pollinators.

So, why are pollinators in decline?

Loss of Habitat – Pollinators rely on a range of habitat types to breed, nest and forage. Due to the expansion of urban areas, deforestation and loss of wildflower habitat, we are losing many of the spaces pollinators need to survive.

Pesticides – Herbicides can remove potential food plants and prey species for pollinators. Pesticide residue can be picked up by foraging pollinators and taken back to the nest/colony, which can have significant impacts on survivorship for the entire group. Pesticides also bioaccumulate in the ecosystem, negtatively impacting species higher in the food chain (including ourselves).

Climate change – As we have seen in recent years, climate change is having a profound effect on our world and the life it supports. Broadly speaking, its effect on rapidly altering earth’s environmental conditions is resulting in wide spread declines in biodiversity as species are unable to adapt quickly enough.

We have the expertise and flexibility to deliver large scale projects, (designing, managing and delivering) or delivering smaller scale spaces such as those within our Beds for Bees projects. Check out the projects we’ve supported here.