Emma L. Powell, Author
Reading and Writing All Sorts
May 20th = World Bee Day
Today is World Bee Day, something I’ve only just come to know! We depend on bees and pollinators for the survival of our ecosystem, fact.
There is much we can do as individuals as you can see from the United Nations information below:
How can we do more?
Individually by:
- planting a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year;
- buying raw honey from local farmers;
- buying products from sustainable agricultural practices;
- avoiding pesticides, fungicides or herbicides in our gardens;
- protecting wild bee colonies when possible;
- sponsoring a hive;
- making a bee water fountain by leaving a water bowl outside;
- helping sustaining forest ecosystems;
- raising awareness around us by sharing this information within our communities and networks; The decline of bees affects us all!
Bees have been revered for thousands of years and have many connections with myth and folklore. Ancient Egyptians – and indeed, the ancient world – worshipped the bee as a symbol and myth, as well as wild honey collecting. British Medieval folklore has a tradition of ‘telling the bees’ whereby news of a death and other major events such as births and weddings was whispered to the bees so they could spread the news. Bees are symbolised in witchcraft, folklore and considered messengers from one world to another. Spiritually, bees are a sign of being industrious, focussed and committed. But let’s not forget, in the 21st century, we need bees so let’s do our bit.
The story of bumblebees over the past century has been one of decline. Two species became extinct in the UK during the 20th century: Cullum’s bumblebee (Bombus cullumanus) last seen on the Berkshire Downs in 1941, and the Short-haired bumblebee (Bombus subterraneus), last seen at Dungeness in 1988 and officially declared extinct in 2000. A further eight species (a third of the remaining species) are currently listed on at least one of the English, Welsh and Scottish conservation priority species lists due to their large-scale declines in distribution. – Bumble Bee Conservation
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Emma L. Powell, Author 