Ryedale’s buzzing
Residents of Ryedale are invited to find out
more about our amazing bumblebee thanks to a project organised by
Ryedale District Council and North Yorkshire County
Council. The Humble Bumblebee training day will provide
all a person needs to know about bumblebees , once trained
bumblebee surveyors will have the opportunity to take part in
a local bumble bee survey .
A training day is to be run at Ryedale House
Malton on Saturday, 7 August by local Bumble bee expert Michael
Archer, if you would like to learn more about bumble bees and help
in their conservation please contact Don Davies on at Ryedale
District Council for further information.
“Bumblebees are amongst our most familiar
insects but their numbers are dropping dramatically”, said Don
Davies, Countryside Officer for the Ryedale area. “This is
very worrying as bumblebees are essential for the pollination of
fruit trees, beans and flowers. The buzz of the bumblebee is
unmistakable, that deep, loud, lazy vibration, like an old
Lancaster bomber, that heralds spring and typifies summer.
The idea behind the Bumblebee project is to raise awareness of the
value of bumblebees and to gain more vital knowledge of there
activities in Ryedale”.
This project is part of the Ryedale
Biodiversity Action Plan. For further information please
contact Don Davies on 01653 600666 ext 333.
Background information
- Bumblebees have been identified as one of the key species in
the Ryedale Biodiversity Action Plan – a document which identifies
those species and habitats which are particularly special to
Ryedale and what needs to be done to ensure it remains special in
the future.
- Of the 19 British species of true bumblebee, five are highly
threatened and listed as Priority Species in the UK Biodiversity
Action Plan; one is possibly extinct and two more may be on the
verge of extinction nation-wide.
- Three or four of the five most threatened species formerly
occurred in Ryedale. Of the 16 bumblebee species recorded
in Yorkshire, six are believed to be extinct in our region and two
more are now rare.
- The reasons for this dramatic decline include reduced supplies
of nectar and pollen due to the loss of wildflower-rich habitats
and the loss of nesting and hibernation habitats in places such as
hedge banks and field margins.
E-mail: don.davies@ryedale.gov.uk
Telephone: 01653 600666 extension 333