A new campaign has been launched to save UK bees and organisers are asking all of us to find a space to plant a few bee-friendly plants.
They held an open day at Winchester Intech on Saturday (March 7) which gave visitors the chance to learn about the campaign and see bees at work in a specially constructed observation hive.
- Steve Brine TV - see a short-film on this story and interview with Hugh Sykes from Winchester & District Beekeepers www.stevebrine.tv
6-15 March 2009 marks National Science & Engineering Week and is running alongside the ‘Save our Bees’ campaign supported by the British Beekeepers Association who are desperate to halt a steep decline in bee numbers over the past few years.
Saturday’s event was organised by Intech in conjunction with the British Science Association who coordinate the National Science and Engineering Week.
The campaign is being backed locally by Steve Brine, the prospective Conservative MP for Winchester who dropped into Intech on Saturday to see for himself. “We are asking everyone to find a space, whether in a window box, a garden or an unused piece of ground and plant a few bee friendly plants”, he says.
Millions of the UK’s bees are dying from unknown causes and one in three of honey bee colonies in the UK were lost last winter alone. Honey bees are vitally important for everyone. In all, they are responsible for pollinating one-third of all the foods we eat.
Mr Brine added; “Bee numbers have suffering a steady decline and while we know the parasitic mite known as ‘Varroa’ is partly to blame little is really known as to the other causes. Honey bees are an underpinning component of the local countryside and provide a great British-made product in form of honey which we all buy in the shops.
Last year thousands signed a petition which was delivered to Downing Street by beekeepers from across the country, they are calling on DEFRA to support vitally needed research to pinpoint the source of the disease wiping out so many bee colonies.
Steve Brine concluded; “Winchester is a perfect place to keep bees because of its rural setting, another reason why we need to protect that I might add. I hope people will embrace the campaign and recognise that a world without bees would hurt us all.”
The Winchester & District Beekeepers Association (which is based in Chandler’s Ford) gave a fascinating display of their work at Winchester Intech and there was the opportunity to plant some bee friendly plants as well as paint a bee to formally support the campaign. They are keen to support anyone locally who wants help and advice in getting started and have a website www.winchesterbeekeepers.org.uk.
You can also see more about the campaign at www.saveourbees.org.uk and see the poster to advertise today's event by clicking here.
The event was supported by Rowse Honey and all the activities, other than the beekeeping itself, were organised and staffed by Intech and the plants were on loan from Brambridge Park Garden Centre.
Pictured; Steve Brine (right) and Hugh Sykes of The Winchester & District Beekeepers take a close look at the observation hive on Saturday at Intech; see here in high-res.