It is World Bee Day today and naturally our minds are on nature and what it does for us – and all the reasons why we need to save nature for future generations. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world – despite being a first world country with world leading scientists, zoologists, biologists and conservationists.
The latest State of Nature reports that UK biodiversity continues to decline. One in six species are threatened with extinction. 1.5% of our species are already extinct. Pollinators like bees, hoverflies and moths have decreased by 18% and the 2-spot ladybird by 38% since 1970.
Bees and pollinators are essential for crops. They transfer pollen between plants enabling them to make seeds and fruit, to regenerate. This includes food crops and livestock feed (The Woodland Trust). Without the bees, farmers would have to pollinate plants, costing an estimated £1.8 billion a year which will surely be passed on to the consumer.
Bees also pollinate flowers and fruit trees which provide food and shelter for other animals in the food chain. They are an indicator of how the loss of one species impacts on another. We are losing wildflowers because there are no bees to pollinate them. This means there is less food for birds. And so on.
We are losing bees because of four main reasons:
Loss of habitat – we have lost 97% of our wildflower meadows to development since the 1930s.
Climate change – extreme weather events are disrupting bee nesting habits and the flowering season
Parasites and diseases – importing farmed honey bees have introduced the Varroa mite which kills native bees
Invasive species – imported honey bees can out-compete the bumblebee for food and the Asian hornet preys on solitary and bumblebees
Funding nature projects
Naturesave Insurance created the Naturesave Trust, an environmental charity 30 years ago. They champion sustainability and they have invested in many projects. Naturesave plants trees in Scotland through Trees for Life for every policy they sell.
They support Blue Patch, for which we are very grateful. They’ve been supporting our Let’s Do Net Zero campaign and providing free advice to our members on how to improve their operations through Chartered Environmentalist Alice Doyle of Positive Impacts. This is invaluable to us.
They have also funded multiple grassroots projects that increase biodiversity in the UK. They include regenerative farming initiatives, consumer education, feeding local people, community gardens, eco-fashion and repair cafes, and more.
The grant provided to the friends of the River Dart allowed them to test the water in the river and then lobby for change with local stakeholders. They recorded 10x the safe amount of bacteria in the water and they are working towards a legally binding agreement with South West Water that will resolve sewage overflow spills. River cleanliness directly affects biodiversity as rivers provide habitat for otters, birds and fish.
Another project that Naturesave supports is the Solar Bee Project. This innovation uses solar panels to keep the hive temperature high so that the Varroa mite, which kills bees, cannot survive in the hive. There is potential for community energy projects to keep bees in solar farms and thus increase both the numbers of bees and the biodiversity around them.
Why do we need to save nature?
Saving nature is critical to its survival and ours. Without pollinators we will be unable to produce enough food for people to eat and to feed our livestock. Without clean water we will lose wildlife and food sources like fish. Conserving nature directly benefits us.
For more information on the Naturesave Trust’s work or to buy insurance from a green insurance provider who supports biodiversity in the UK, visit their website at https://naturesave.co.uk/