Bumblebee Conservation Trust Works Closely with MPA to Help Conserve Bees
Back in November 2012, the Mineral Products Association (MPA) and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) signed a memorandum of understanding. This was a significant step towards meeting the aims of the MPA and BBCT, in particular, the protection, creation and restoration of flower rich habitats. But also extending the knowledge of those working on quarries about bumblebees in particular, and wildlife generally.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust was established because of serious concerns about the 'plight of the bumblebee'. In the last 80 years our bumblebee populations have crashed. Two species have become nationally extinct and several others have declined dramatically. Much of the work that BBCT does is with farmers and other land managers, so working with quarries was going to be a challenging and learning experience for both partners.
Since November 2012, BBCT has visited 5 quarries, all very different and requiring different approaches. But they have learnt through their visits how quarries can be surprisingly useful places for wildlife. The process often allows wildflowers to thrive, and pollinating insects like bumblebees can be abundant. There are many different habitats on quarries too and each one can be managed sensitively for bees.
As a result of the memorandum of understanding, the highlight of this year for BBCT was their visit to Wainwright’s Moon Hill quarry in Somerset – an MPA member. BBCT delivered a presentation to over 50 attendees at the Earth Science Centre. The room was full, the enthusiasm and interest for bumblebees was very clear, both during and after the presentation. BBCT are attending Moon Hill quarry’s open day on 6th September and hopefully encouraging more people to plant flowers for bees.
During 2013, the Conservation Team put together a Quarry fact sheet (http://bumblebeeconservation.org/get-involved/managing-your-land/managing-quarries/) to go with BBCT’s suite of factsheets ‘Managing your land for…….’. BBCT are also working with RESTORE, www.restorequarries.eu to share their knowledge, hopefully making more gains for wildlife and bumblebees.
Part of BBCT advisory work with farmers and landowners includes ‘Farm Days’, where farmers are invited to come along to other farms to see what the farmers there are doing that benefits bees. BBCT hopes that it will be possible, perhaps not this year, but next, to hold such a day for quarries – there is always the lure of a bacon sandwich or bbq to encourage people to come along, plus the curiosity of seeing what someone else is doing!
BBCT ambitions are to get more quarries thinking about what they can do for bees. Some restoration normally includes planting trees, there are some crucial trees for bees - the goat willow for example, which produces high quality nectar and pollen in March when bumblebees are emerging and need feeding up after their long hibernation.
BBCT also want quarry workers to start monitoring bees. This year saw the launch of their national BeeWalk scheme – the only national recording scheme that monitors the abundance of bumblebees providing early warning of declines. A network of volunteers walk a set route (1km) once a month between March and October counting and identifying the bumblebees they see. Anyone can join in, all you need is a spare hour or so every month to walk your transect – you choose where to go.
It would be fabulous to have real hard evidence as to the quality of habitat quarries can and are providing for our bees, so here is the challenge for all quarries to get involved. For further information go to: http://bumblebeeconservation.org/get-involved/surveys/beewalk/. BBCT suggests a bee ID training session (usually 2-3 hours) to help you get started, but they can provide help on identification remotely as well.
The importance of bees generally cannot be underestimated. In the UK about 70 crops are dependent on, or benefit from, visit from bees. In addition, bees pollinate the flowers of many plants which become part of the feed of farm animals. The economic value of bees, as pollinators of commercially grown insect pollinated crops in the UK, has been estimated at over £500 million per year. Insect pollination contributes $€14.2 billion to Europe’s economy, and bumblebees are one of our most important pollinators.
As well as this commercial importance, many wild plants depend on bumblebees in particular for pollination. It is often said that bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. But for some crops, such as tomatoes: no bumblebees, no fruit. (Bumblebees use a process called ‘buzz pollination’ to extract pollen from flowers that are tightly packed within it. Only a bumblebee can vibrate at the right frequency to release the pollen). If bumblebees and other insect pollinators were not around to pollinate these plants, many wouldn’t reproduce and would die off. This would have huge implications for other animals that depend on these plants.
In the last year, Pollination has also risen up the political agenda. The National Pollinator Strategy is due to be launched this Autumn.
