Bees are essential. Almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of global crops are dependent upon animal pollination. Bees are believed to be the most efficient pollinators, as they rely upon pollen and nectar for feeding their offspring.
But our bees are under threat. In the East of England, of 228 bee species recorded, 73 species are threatened, regionally extinct or are of conservation concern. Habitat loss is one of the main causes for bee decline. One of the most critical habitats for bees, and other pollinating invertebrates, are wildflower meadows. Since the 1930’s we have lost a devastating 97% of our wildflower meadows across the UK. Just 0.5% of Hertfordshire is wildflower meadow today.
£10
could help us repair and replace fencing to keep our livestock safe when they return to graze.
£20
could help pay for veterinary care needed to keep our Herdwick sheep in the best of health.
£50
could help us run volunteer work parties to manually remove scrub to let wildflowers thrive, providing food for bees and other pollinators next spring.The Trust works hard to protect the remaining areas of meadowland in Hertfordshire and Middlesex to keep them in good condition for pollinators and other insects. An important part of our management of these meadowlands is the use of conservation grazing, particularly sheep.
Without grazing, woody scrub and vigorous grasses quickly encroach on these grasslands outcompeting the wildflowers and smaller, slow-growing species – a vital food source for our bees. At Aldbury Nowers, our hardy Shetland and Herdwick sheep are keeping scrub at bay, creating a diverse array of chalk grassland wildflowers which provide a food source for bees throughout the Spring and Summer. Light on their feet, the sheep gently get to hard to reach places in the reserve. They graze the tops of the ant-hills, exposing bare soil and allowing rare and specialist wildflowers to thrive.
If we and the rest of the back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the world's ecosystems would collapsePresident Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts
£10
could help us repair and replace fencing to keep our livestock safe when they return to graze.
£20
could help pay for veterinary care needed to keep our Herdwick sheep in the best of health.
£50
could help us run volunteer work parties to manually remove scrub to let wildflowers thrive, providing food for bees and other pollinators next spring.This summer we raised an amazing £10,000 to care for our pigs, sheep and cows so they could improve habitats across our nature reserves, including our wildflower meadows. As winter approaches our sheep will soon return to graze at Aldbury Nowers. However our other reserves become too wet for livestock over the winter month when they tend to churn up the soft ground and are prone to health problems.
Your donation will also enable our Herdwick sheep to graze the wildflower meadows at Aldbury Nowers through the winter. Our sheep keep scrub at bay, maintaining the perfect conditions for a diverse array of chalk grassland wildflowers to flourish in spring, to provide essential food and refuge for bees and other pollinating insects.
Bumble bee on bird's-foot-trefoil (c) Tim Hill