The UK has lost an alarming 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s and this has had a major impact on pollinator numbers. The magnitude of the wildflower meadow loss has left remaining pollinator-rich habitats fragmented. This fragmentation prevents recolonisation of pollinator-poor areas and leaves populations vulnerable.
So, as well as giving away nearly a million packets of wildflower seeds to customers and members since 2009, we are funding a pilot project, in partnership with Buglife, to introduce a network of wildflowers in the Yorkshire area.
Our proposed Bee Roads map is below and you can also open it in a new window.
By encouraging and supporting landowners to create strategically-placed wildflower meadows in a network of roads across Yorkshire, the Bee Roads project will make a corridor between high quality habitats, allowing a wide variety of species to re-enter lost territory.
Bee Roads will promote wildflowers such as Lesser Knapweed, Field Scabious, Birdsfoot Trefoil and Red Clover, which are becoming increasingly rare in the British countryside. These species will offer a rich habitat and essential pollen and nectar sources for a host of pollinators such as honeybees, hoverflies, butterflies and moths.