The campaign to save bees in Leighton Buzzard will be launched by leading councillors at Nature’s Harvest in Leighton on Saturday, June 15.
The health food store in North Street has joined forces with A.Vogel (producers of herbal remedies), the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, and South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth to help their customers save the bees.
A. Vogel will donate 20p to the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust to create bee friendly habitats for each purchase of an A.Vogel product costing over £7.50.
Between 10am and 3pmNature’s Harvest with South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth will be giving out bee friendly wildflower seeds that people can grow in their garden or in their window box, and advice on how to make your garden more bee friendly, with nesting and hibernating sites and an opportunity to make your own bee hotel.
There will also be an in-store bumble bee quiz with a prize.
Rosey Gibbs, of Nature’s Harvest, said: “Natures Harvest is joining the nationwide campaign along with local schools, Friends of the Earth and many other organisations, to raise awareness ot the plight of our bees. By doing this we hope to make a difference. Come and join us to learn more about our ‘humble bumble’ , with ideas on how we can help.”
Bees are crucially important as they pollinate 75 per cent of our food as well as our flowers and herbs for herbal remedies. Honey bees are only one species of bee. There are 20 species of bumble bee and 246 species of solitary bee who are actually more important than honey bees for pollination.
Bumblebees are crucial for pollinating tomatoes as they buzz pollinate; their vibrations are needed to force the plant to release its pollen. In the last 20 years the overall bee population has declined by 50%, this is equally due to loss of habitat as due to pesticides.
South Beds Friends of the Earth are helping the bees in Leighton Buzzard by planting wildflowers along Clipstone Brook, on the banks of the River Ouzel opposite Leighton Middle school, and at Leighton Buzzard railway station. They have planted a community orchard in Astral Park which has an open day on June 30 (2.30pm to 5pm). They are also working with, as well as asking the council, to make the whole town more bee friendly.
Victoria Harvey, of FoE, said: “It is wonderful that Nature’s Harvest is doing this promotion. Bees need two crucial things, more wildflowers, and places to nest and hibernate. We are calling on both gardeners and the councils to leave some messy areas of long grass, twigs and leaves so that wildlife can make their nests and hibernate.”