Bumblebee Conservation Trust

Send your queen bee a bumblebee eCard this Mother’s Day and donate the cost of sending a greetings card. Spread 💛 and save 🕒, 💰, 🐝 and the 🌍 🌻 4 NEW designs! ✨ 📮 Send via email, WhatsApp or Messenger 📅 Write now, send later Shop our Mother's Day range: https://ow.ly/5GUC50VkxQB

Bumblebees are the backbone of the soft fruit industry; without them, the fruits we rely on could disappear. But in 2024, UK bumblebee populations hit their lowest since records began - a crisis that puts both biodiversity and food supply at risk. So what can be done?  In the latest episode of the Communicating Purpose podcast, John uncovers this issue with Gill Perkins, CEO of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Gill transitioned from a successful business career to focus on her passion for conservation, and has led the Trust since 2016, ensuring the charity delivers on its strategic objectives. Under Gill’s leadership, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust is on a mission to keep bumblebees buzzing by enhancing the understanding and quality of bumblebee ecology and conservation. In this episode, John and Gill discussed: ⚠️ The drastic decline of bumblebees since WWII - and what we can do about it. 🛒Why mindful food purchases are essential for the recovery of bumblebee populations. 🍓Why soft fruit in the UK relies on the importation of 95,000 boxes of commercially farmed bumblebees. 📱Why the Bumblebee Conservation Trust is rethinking its social media strategy to engage Gen Z. 🐝 The inspiring story of the short-haired bumblebee’s reintroduction. 🎧 Click here to listen to the episode on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eqpcGEZZ 🍏 Click here to listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/egqQgnUj

Give the queen bee in your life the perfect Mother's Day gift 🐝👑 Our gift guide is buzzing with health and bee-uty products, organic clothing, vegan treats, wildflower packs, and more! Every purchase supports our vital work to save bumblebees 💛 Shop now: https://ow.ly/HJwW50Vjcw2

One of Britain's rarest bumblebees, the Shrill carder bumblebee, continues to decline in Somerset despite a decade of dedicated conservation work at the National Trust's Lytes Cary Manor 🚨 Last year, there were just three sightings across the county, with none at this key site 💔 With an already dwindling population in the Somerset area, our ‘SOS Somerset’ project is leading efforts with the estate to reverse this decline 🤝 Read the full story: https://ow.ly/2qGb50Vghi7

This year, just one hour a month can help avert the bumblebee crisis 🚨 BeeWalk, our national bumblebee monitoring scheme, is back for 2025. Bee-coming a BeeWalker is a direct way you can make a difference for the UK’s bumblebees 💚 Together, let's give bumblebees a future they can thrive in 🐝 Find out more: https://ow.ly/83lC50VbTa3

Ahhh spring is in the air! Who’s buzzing to get back into the garden? 🐝 💔 Last year, bumblebee numbers declined by almost a quarter (22.5%) across Great Britain. Two common bumblebee species were among the worst affected, with many other species suffering significant declines* 🌻 Planting bumblebee-friendly plants is one of the best ways you can help these vital pollinators. 🪻 Our UK native wildflower seeds are easy to sow. Come summer, you can enjoy the vibrant blooms and watching your local bumblebees tuck into their wildflower feast 🐝🎶 Get spring-ready today: https://ow.ly/lU2s50VcxPJ *The latest findings from BeeWalk, our national bumblebee monitoring scheme. 🎥 Emily Luck

March sees the return of bumblebee queens as they emerge from hibernation – here are some of the common species you can spot this month 👀 👑 Bumblebee queens begin to emerge from hibernation in spring, when rising temperatures and longer days awaken them from their winter snooze in the soil. 💤 When a queen first emerges, she spends some time resting in order to wake up properly. 🌷 Once fully awake she feeds on flowers to gain energy. 🏠 Then begins the search for a suitable nest site: holes in the ground, long grass, bird boxes and beneath garden sheds. Have you spotted your first bumblebee of 2024? What species are you most excited to see? 🔎 Brush up on your bumblebee identification skills: https://ow.ly/4uZ250V1ooG

It’s official, 2024 was the worst year for bumblebees since records began 🚨 The latest findings from BeeWalk, our national bumblebee monitoring scheme, have revealed bumblebee numbers declined by almost a quarter (22.5%) last year across Great Britain 💔 Two common bumblebee species were the hardest hit: ⬇️ The Red-tailed bumblebee fell by 74%. ⬇️ The White-tailed bumblebee fell by 60%. Many other bumblebee species were also affected 📉 Find out why 2024 was such a devastating year for our bumblebees in our latest BeeWalk Annual Report: https://lnkd.in/edYGhFyG

Grasslands are vital for: 🌱 Producing food 🌷 Storing carbon 🐝 Bumblebees and other wildlife 🌎 And more! Yet there is no person or team at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs working specifically on Grasslands!? With Plantlife International and partners, we're calling on Steve Reed MP to address this urgently. Read the full Open Letter: https://ow.ly/My7350V5XfF