Carmarthenshire To Help Save Bumblebee Numbers

Two Carmarthenshire greenspaces are set to be a buzzing haven for bumblebees thanks to lottery funding. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Sandy Water Park and Mynydd Mawr will form part of the Bee Wild West Wales project after The Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) secured £45k from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help protect the fluffy pollinators. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bee Wild West Wales project aims to raise awareness on their importance and what people can do to protect them following a decline in numbers. The UK has already lost two native bumblebee species in the last 80 years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The two-year project will be delivered by BBCT early next year with support from Carmarthenshire County Council, National Botanic Garden of Wales and Keep Wales Tidy. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The council’s executive board member for leisure, Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “The dramatic decline in populations of the bumblebee show that something needs to be done. They are great pollinators, and have a vital role in producing much of the food that we eat. If their decline continues, the extremely high cost of pollinating these plants by other means could significantly increase the cost of fruit and vegetables. As well as food bumblebees pollinate many wildflowers, allowing them to reproduce. Without this pollination wildflowers would also decline.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Features at these designated sites will be designed and implemented by local residents. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In addition the project will focus on the status of rare bumblebees in west Wales, and appoint ‘Bumblebee Ambassadors’. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Sinead Lynch, BBCT Conservation Officer (Wales) said: “This exciting new project will help to make west Wales a buzzing haven for bumblebees. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bumblebees are important pollinators of wild plants and crops. But the UK has lost two native bumblebee species in the last 80 years, and over half of the UK’s bumblebee species are in decline. We need to act now to reverse this decline. Everyone can do something to help these fascinating insects – from planting lavender in a window box to helping us to monitor their populations.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​