Sadly this year we will be unable to do that. However, we can encourage you all to celebrate World Bee Day on 20th May 2020. If you are interested take a look at worldbeeday.org.
Sadly, bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies and bats, are increasingly under threat from human activities. We should be concerned about this since pollinators allow many plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. Not only do they contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity. Pollinators also serve as sentinels for emergent environmental risks, signalling the health of local ecosystems.
The good news in the UK this year is that the pandemic is not proving to be detrimental in this one area at least! It has been reported that pollinators are doing better in 2020 partly due to one simple change: namely that because of Covid 19, many Councils are letting the road verges grow this year.
This one factor, to be repeated in future years hopefully, is having a positive impact on a number of flower species living on the verges which are sadly one of pollinators’ few remaining havens. Verges are home to oxeye daisies, yellow rattle, white and red campion and many other flower species on which the humble bee and butterfly depend. There is also a hope that the current reduction in air pollution due to the lockdown might have an additional beneficial effect on the pollinator population.
Another point to note related to the honey produced by bees is that last month Scottish heather honey was officially confirmed as a superfood. The honey has been scientifically tested and proven to contain up to ten times more of some essential micro-nutrients such as manganese, which is essential for healthy bones and it is also high in other anti-oxidants. Our heather honey is said to rival the well- known Manuka honey from New Zealand.
So, we should celebrate our pollinators. They give us reason to "bee" cheerful.
The humble bee is a cornerstone of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals which is why the UN has a World Bee Day. The date chosen, 20th May, was selected because it coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, who pioneered modern beekeeping techniques in his native Slovenia in the 18th century. He praised the bees for their ability to work so hard, while needing so little.
