BEE FRIENDLY WALES
Emily Edwards speaks to Friends Of The Earth Cymru’s Bleddyn Lake about the campaign he founded, Bee Friendly.
Bees are in decline and without them, and specifically their pollination of fruit and vegetables, both our environment and economy are in peril. Bleddyn Lake, campaigns manager at the Welsh wing of Friends Of The Earth, spoke to Buzz; since 2016, he’s headed up the Bee Friendly campaign, with the overall goal of having the whole of Wales reach ‘Bee Friendly’ accreditation status.
There are ways that we as individuals can help, says Lake. “People can plant pollinator-friendly flowers and plants in their gardens, but don’t have to have big gardens to do this. People with smaller gardens can have small pots, shrubs and herbs, which are good. Having some wild areas in your garden, where weeds such as dandelions can grow, is also beneficial to the bees.”
Habitat loss is a big problem for bee decline, as so many wildflower meadows have disappeared having a huge effect on bees. “You could make a bee hotel using bamboo shoots tied together and hung up on the wall,” Lake suggests. “This is good for solitary bees. Most people think of honeybees, but most species in the UK are solitary bees.”
Another way we can help is by avoiding certain chemicals found in pesticides, and reading labels diligently. As Lake says: “Lots of focus has been on farming-scale pesticide use, but there are also issues around weedkillers that contain glyphosate – a specific chemical which, in research, has been shown to have a negative impact on bees and other sorts of pollinators.”
To have a bigger impact on bee decline, whole communities can get involved in helping bees. Lake explains: “The Bee Friendly scheme provides a way for communities to get together and help. There are four different themes to the scheme. Firstly, a provision of food sources for the bees such as shrubs, wildflowers and trees. Secondly, some sort of habitat for them. Thirdly, action on chemicals, such as stopping the action of harmful pesticides being used on school grounds, for example. And fourthly, talking about it to others in the community.” Ways in which a community can help are encouragingly diverse – a talk in a school assembly, a local village fete having a stall to talk about the plight of bees, or a film shown in a local community hall.
Lake notes that the scheme is designed so people can use the ideas then make it their own. “It’s equally applicable if you are an inner-city school as it is for a village out in the countryside, for instance. If communities act on those themes, it will go a long way to helping the future of the scheme.”
If you want to find out more about becoming a Bee Friendly accredited area, you can e-mail the Welsh Government. They will put you in touch with a regional Bee Champion who will help your community get involved.
Lake concludes that the problem of bee decline is attributable to a variety of factors. “Habitat loss, chemicals, climate change impacting on food availability, and monoculture farming affecting regular food sources all add up. I am encouraged to see that the Welsh Government have plans to provide more support to farmers in Wales for planting trees and encouraging pollinators.”
Yet Lake feels that it is realistic to aim Bee Friendly status. Wales has already succeeded in becoming the first ever ‘fair trade nation’, in 2008, and the Bee Friendly founder sees similarities for the prospective success of this scheme. “If 50 or 60% of schools in Wales became Bee Friendly and all local authorities could pass their own pollinator action plans, that would be beneficial when added together. It’s not just about the title but about getting it right, to see change.”
