Member Article

Wildlife charity buzzing thanks to another funding boost

Northumberland Wildlife Trust is delighted to have received yet another grant from The Co-operative Membership to help its Beequest Project which is aimed at protecting pollinating insects.

Bees are very effective pollinators of a wide range of wild flowers and crops and therefore have considerable ecological and economic importance. All types of bees are very much under threat now and have suffered a very serious reduction in numbers in recent decades due to habitat degradation and destruction and all but six of the UK’s 25 bumble bees species have been declining since the 1960s. Honey bee populations have also been affected by a range of threats.

To date, the wildlife charity has received £11,000 from the Co-operative Membership campaign which has enabled it to undertake vital bee conservation work in this area including the installation bee hives on a number of its reserves and the training of volunteers to look after them.

The additional £2,500 received today will allow the Trust to build upon its recent success and further improve conditions for bees on five of its reserves around the region: East Cramlington Pond, Holywell Pond in East Northumberland, St Nicholas Park in Gosforth, Newcastle, South Close Field at Riding Mill and Annstead Dunes in North Northumberland.

Proposed habitat management improvements on the sites such as grass cutting, scrub thinning, the targeting of invasive species plus conservation grazing and wildflower planting will not only benefit bees but will also result in better conditions for wildlife such as butterflies and birds.

The grant will also allow the Trust to engage school children with a range of exciting bee related activities based on the national curriculum.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Bishop .