Page 17 - Bumblebee Conservation Trust Buzzword Magazine July 2020

Working To showcase what can be done for the Shrill
carder bee, two ‘Champion Sites’ have been
identified – the National Trust’s Lytes Cary
harder for Manor in Somerset, and RSPB’s Rainham
Marshes in Essex. Case studies for these
sites outline what conservation work has
the Shrill been carried out, how we have monitored the
impact of our work and highlighted some of
the best places to see the species. We hope
carder to establish more Champion Sites across the
Shrill carder bee populations in England and
Wales.
Jamie Robins, Buglife Projects Manager says
By Sinead Lynch, Conservation Manager “This hugely successful partnership work with
Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Jamie the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has gone
Robins, Project Manager Buglife a long way to helping understand the Shrill
carder bee’s decline in England and to find a
In March 2020, the Back from the Brink way to safeguard its future. We now need to
Shrill carder bee project came to an keep working together to get more and more
end… and with quite a flourish! The landowners to manage their sites with this
project was one of 20 species recovery wonderful bee in mind.”
projects delivered within the Back from Sinead Lynch, Conservation Manager,
the Brink partnership; a collaboration Bumblebee Conservation Trust said “These
working to prevent the extinction of successes show the importance of partnership
threatened species in England. work and what a collaboration can achieve.
Named for its high-pitched buzz, this It’s vital we protect this rare bumblebee and
appealing little insect is one of England Photos: Clockwise; Shrill carder bee (Bombus continue to engage more landowners and the
and Wales’ rarest and most threatened Highlights sylvarum) by Claire Fidler; Ex-arable general public to help this charismatic insect -
bumblebees. The queen bees need Hay Meadow at Home Farm in Somerset; we have much to build upon.”
long, tussocky grassland to conceal their During the two-year project, 55 Beginners bumblebee identification workshop. The project also produced a vital ‘Shrill Carder
nests, and they’ll produce around 50–70 landowners have been inspired to Bee Conservation Strategy 2020-2030’
workers in each colony. These workers deliver 189 hectares of habitat for this To view the new Shrill Carder with the help of Natural England, Natural
forage from a wide variety of plants, but bumblebee in Somerset and Essex – Bee Conservation Strategy Resources Wales, RSPB, the Bees Wasps
they are particularly fond of vetches, Red that’s 260 football pitches! 2020-2030 or the Case Studies and Ants Recording Society (BWARS) and
Clover and Red Bartsia. other partners and bumblebee experts across
An impressive 65 dedicated volunteers for both Somerset and Essex,
have helped to survey some of the 90 visit the project page at www. England and Wales. Launched in July 2020,
sites visited during the project, thanks bumblebeeconservation.org/ we now want to build on the fantastic effort in
to the 12 bumblebee identification shrill-carder-recovery-project/ producing the strategy, and continue helping
workshops delivered. This is on top the species to thrive across England and
of 17 field sessions and 19 talks - Wales.
all helping to improve the public’s
recognition and appreciation of the
Shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum).
Photo: Shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum) on
16 Red Bartsia by Daisy Headley 17