Bees are hugely important to the environment.

May 20th is World Bee Day: a day dedicated to celebrating and highlighting just how vital bees are to our lives.

Why are bees so important?

Bees are a good indicator of warmer weather and it’s common to spot bees buzzing around beautiful flowers during the summer months. Bees play an important role in pollinating trees and flowers, helping to provide habitats for wildlife. They also pollinate the food we need to survive.

There are over 250 species of bees in the UK alone, and for little creatures, they have a big impact!

Did you know…

• As well as honey, royal jelly, and pollen, bees provide products used in healthcare.
• A third of the entire world’s food production depends on bees.
• Bees can help tell us about the state of the environment. By observing the development and health of bees it’s possible to understand what’s changing in the environment – and take action.

How can you help celebrate World Bee Day and take care of the bees?

• If you have any outdoor space, whether that’s a garden, balcony, patio or terrace, plant flowering plants that are bee-friendly. You’ll create a beautiful feature as well as helping the bees!
• If you’ve got a garden, stop using pesticides. Some pests are food for pollinators, so leaving nature to sort itself out will mean more food for bees.
• Find out if there are any bee-keepers in your local area, and buy their products.
• Help to spread the word, and tell one person you know about the importance of bees.
• If you see a bee on the ground – save it! Mix two parts sugar to one part water and leave the pick-me-up for the bee to enjoy. It could help them get their buzz back!

How are we helping to look after bees?

We have a huge variety of different habitats at Amelia Trust, including farmland, woodland, a pond, marshland, and fields. The range of different habitats onsite means that we are lucky to be home to a variety of native British wildlife, from owls, mice, and bats, to hedgehogs, dragon flies, and of course, bees.

Our range of plants and trees are equally diverse. The warmer months are a great chance for visitors to enjoy the abundance of natural flowers and native wildlife in the woodland – and get some gorgeous photographs.

As part of our commitment to encourage biodiversity at the Farm, we are keen to develop a wild flower meadow at the Farm. We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the Vale of Glamorgan Local Nature Partnership to purchase equipment that will help us create a space that’s perfect for bees: full of pollinating flowers and natural wildlife.

Our wild flower meadow will provide visitors with a fantastic opportunity to spot wildlife and understand seasonal changes, and we will be encouraging data collection when possible. Keep an eye on our social media pages and website for updates on our wild flower meadow – we can’t wait to share our progress with you all!

Let’s take care of our bees this World Bee Day, and make sure these little creatures are buzzing around us all for years to come!