Buglife Cymru’s Welsh B-Lines initiative will help our bees and other pollinating insects by restoring and connecting wildflower-rich areas across the country.
Today the wildlife charity is launching the new Wales B-Lines map which provides a solution to our declining pollinators.
Bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinators are a vitally important part of our wildlife and essential to people. It is estimated that 84% of our crops benefit from insect pollination along with approximately 80% of wildflowers. Strawberries, apples, pumpkins, peas and oilseed rape all depend on insect pollinators.
However, many of our pollinators are in serious decline, the numbers of threatened species are rising, and the sheer abundance of insects in our countryside is in sharp decline. One of the key reasons for this is the loss of wildflowers from our countryside on which our pollinators depend.
The Wales B-Lines Map identifies opportunities for restoring and connecting habitats such as meadows, heathlands and ffridd, linking existing wildlife areas to create a wildflower-rich network across our countryside and through our towns and cities.
Buglife has been working with local authorities, wildlife charities, local record centres, AONBs, National Parks and others to map B-Lines across the whole of Wales. The South and West Wales B-Lines were mapped in 2016 and thanks to funding from the Welsh Government, and with additional support from the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent we have now completed mapping of the B-Lines network across Mid and North Wales too.
Clare Dinham, Buglife Cymru said “With the launch of the Welsh B-Lines map we now have a plan for pollinators. Our next job is to make it happen on the ground and we are looking forward to working with our partners across Wales to help our wild pollinators. The great thing about B-Lines is that anyone can take part, and add their projects to our interactive B-Lines map. If you are planning a wildflower meadow and would like to get involved please get in touch.”
Hannah Blythyn, Minister for Environment said “The launch of the Wales B-Lines map creates a huge opportunity for us all to work together to help our bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The map can be used by everyone to help connect and restore meadows and other wildflower-rich habitats for pollinators across Wales. The Welsh Government have supported this initiative and we hope that B-Lines will play a key role in delivering our Action Plan for Pollinators.”
