Your Heritage
Date awarded
Location
Stirling North
Applicant
Bumblebee Conservation Trust
Award Given
£49900
In recent years changes to farming practices has led to a decline in bumblebee populations within the UK. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust aimed to raise awareness of the bumblebee’s plight.
The UK has 24 native species of bumblebee, of which two have become extinct within the past 70 years. A further six are critically endangered and on the list of UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is based in Scotland and has hosted a variety of events, built an interactive website, provided training in bumblebee identification and habitat-management techniques and promoted bumblebee gardening. ‘Beewatch’, a national bumblebee survey, generated over 5,000 records in its first year. A bumblebee reserve, thought to be the first of its kind in the world, was also created near Perth and Kinross to help boost their numbers.
This three-year project had four main aims – to:
- promote awareness of bumblebee conservation issues and wildlife gardening activities
- employ a part-time conservation officer for three years to facilitate the participation of communities in conservation activities and educate the public about the issues facing these species
- teach people about bumblebees, how to identify them and set up a volunteer bumblebee recording network
- advertise activities through articles in the media (newspapers, radio and TV)