Page 8 - Bumblebee Conservation Trust Buzzword magazine winter 2020

Even the garden looks different this year.
The grass has been left to grow and I
am constantly surprised by the flowers
that have been appearing, including
red clover, black horehound and hedge
woundwort, which are fantastic pollen
sources for bumblebees. I have been
How one farm is propagating flowers from seed to provide
extra forage, including vetch, cornflower
and knapweed. When they were big
supporting bumblebees enough, they were moved into the garden
- unfortunately my first attempt was
eaten within the first 24 hours! Not to be
defeated and with the help of my parents,
we constructed a deer and muntjac proof
enclosure to protect the young plants.
Izzy Knight, former Fifth Continent Project trainee with the Trust, explains how she The garden looks different this year; it is
was inspired to help make improvements on her parents’ farm for bumblebees, brimming with insect life. Small changes
with some amazing results!
have made a big difference and even my
parents have been enjoying the new look
Our family farm looks different this year. and benefits to wildlife!
Among the patchwork of barley and
wheat are fields left to fallow, vibrant
wildflowers and towering bird cover.
This year, a third of the farm has been
enrolled in the Mid-Tier Countryside
Stewardship Scheme. The scheme Last posting date
is Friday
aims to provide environmental benefits 18 December.
on farmland, while providing a financial
incentive to the farmers.
Posted directly Go on get
During my traineeship with the Photo: Ruderal bumblebee to the recipient. buzzy
Bumblebee Conservation Trust, I (Bombus ruderatus) by Izzy Knight
learnt bumblebee identification, and this Delight your loved
ones with a gift
gained knowledge of habitat creation species on the farm. Of the 24 species Christmas membership
and agri-environment schemes. I saw of bumblebee in the UK, the Ruderal We can hand write a this Christmas!
special message in
first hand the positive impact these bumblebee is one of the rarest. This the Christmas card.
schemes could have on wildlife, in made me think about what improvements
particular pollinators. Using the skills could be made on the farm. Fast forward
I developed, I started doing some a year and we have four areas of pollen
surveys to see what bumblebees were and nectar mixes which are supporting Visit
present. To my excitement, I identified hundreds of bumblebees. www.bumblebeeconservation.org/shop
a population of Ruderal bumblebees to select the gift membership
(Bombus ruderatus) along with 12 other Photos: Top & right: pollen and nectar or call 01786 594 130.
mixes which have flowered on the farm
by Izzy Knight
8 9