CLIMATE ACTION WENDOVER

Bees Matter

Bees and other pollinating insects are essential to life as we know it, pollinating the food we need to survive and the crops that feed our livestock. However, a 33-year study undertaken by Nature Communications across the UK outlines evidence that bees and other pollinators are declining and 35 of the UK's bee species are currently under threat of extinction. If action is not taken, pollinator declines will have serious implications for biodiversity, food production, garden birds and wildlife.

The main problem affecting most pollinators is the loss of suitable habitat for foraging and nesting as well as land use change. For example, 97% of flower-rich grassland has been eradicated in the UK since the 1930s.

Our Response – Bee Squared

Bees don’t need much to thrive - they just need the food and shelter that used to be found in our community green spaces, meadows and hedgerows. Wendover is already on a bee line, but we need to strengthen this pathway by planting more bee-friendly plants at regular intervals around the area. To tackle this challenge, Climate Action Wendover is excited to launch our new community project, ‘Bee Squared’ locally, alongside other groups in Hazlemere and across Buckinghamshire.

We invite you to join us in brightening up Wendover to help our bees and other pollinators which have massively declined over the past 50 years to stop this decline and help our wonderful natural friends.

During April 2022, we will be distributing around 4000 packets of wildflower seeds to households in Wendover and the surrounding areas to encourage people to make a ‘Bee Square’. All you need to do is plant your free wildflower seeds in your front garden either in the ground (area of 1m2) or in a few large pots. This is a fun activity to do with the family and lots of support will be available online.