Creating pollinator-friendly spaces
PECT is running the project ‘Pollinating Peterborough’, which is working with four community groups across the city to create pollinator-friendly spaces in their neighbourhoods.
The aim is to provide a practical experience that gives local residents and businesses the opportunity to get involved with habitat creation, as well as raising awareness of the plight of bees and pollinators, and enhancing understanding of the importance of wildflower planting.
This project has been made possible thanks to Postcode Local Trust, a grant giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Why is this project needed?
Over 3 million hectares of wildflower-rich grassland has been lost in England over the last 70 years. Recently Europe has suffered a 37% decline of bees, with 9% facing extinction (Guardian, 2019). A third of wild bees and hoverflies are in decline in Britain (BBC, 2019). These trends are threatening the global food supplies, particularly with the projected rise in population, which is increasing the likelihood of there being a global food shortage.
There is a serious need for action, and experts are advocating the need to shift to wildlife-friendly farming and gardening to prevent further loss of bees (BBC, 2019). There is a great need to increase the presence of wild flowers as a way to help maintain the diversity of bee species (Guardian, 2019).
This project will increase the number of pollinator-friendly wildflower spaces and will contribute to an increase in the city’s biodiversity. Species records will be submitted to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Environmental Record’s Centre (CPERC) to contribute to local biodiversity knowledge. It will also be added to the national UK Pollinator Monitoring scheme data base.
how can you get involved?
PECT will work with the community groups to plan bee-friendly growing schemes, hold planting days, and follow-up with each group to ensure they have the skills and confidence to maintain the planting sites once the project has ended.
There will be events in each of the project areas to provide residents with the seeds and information they need to plant and maintain a pollinator-friendly space in their own garden. Community members will also have the opportunity to learn how to do pollinator counts and talk to local experts.
To get involved, speak to Tony Cook on 01733 568408 or email [email protected]. Volunteer events and seed giveaways will be announced on our events pages at www.pect.org.uk/events/.