My first shrill carder bee!

I had a very exciting day last Thursday as not only did I have a great time teaching volunteers to identify bumblebees in sunny south Wales, but I saw my first shrill carder bee! Having been working to help conserve this handsome little bumblebee for nearly a year now, I was delighted to see one at last, on one of Gwent Wildlife Trust's beautiful wildflower meadow nature reserves.

 

Even better was that we have recently worked with Gwent Wildlife Trust to increase the amount of flower-rich habitat on the reserve to further support the shrill carder bee population, so fantastic to see them using the reserve this year already! It is actually pretty early as the shrill carder bee normally emerges later than more common bumblebees, so to see a worker in late May was very exciting as it means the queen must have set up home already!

 

I thought it was a shrill carder bee as soon as I saw it but went though all the identification features one by one just to be doubly sure - but the high pitched buzz was a real give away! Here is a picture of me with the bee - you will have to take my word for it that there is a shrill carder bee in the pot - it was very small!

 

Hopefully more soon now I am getting out and about with the bumbles!

 

Pippa

 

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We've won!

Wow! What a result! I am so excited - we have won the competition to gain 30,000EUR funding towards our bumblebee project on the Pembrokeshire Coast!

 

After a couple of very tense weeks while votes were being cast we are delighted that our project secured 59% of the votes, securing us the funding for this really important project. We couldn't be more delighted and can't wait to get started on creating wildflower habitats along the Pembrokeshire coast to support the very rare shrill carder bee and other bumblebees.

 

I would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who voted and also those who encouraged others to do so; we couldn't have won without you! We are also delighted that so many people got involved, showing the public support for the urgent need to conserve our bumblebees.

 

Thanks again for your help!

 

Pippa

Time to vote for the bumbles!

As you will see from my posts below, we are up against five other charities to win funding from the EOG Association of Conservation and today the voting has started!!

I knew it would be an exciting process but I didn't realise how nerve-wracking it would be! I've realised quite how much I care about this project and wonder if I can cope waiting for the result in two weeks time! I care so much of course as I think it could have such huge benefits for 'my' bumblebee, the shrill carder bee, as well as other bumblebees and a whole host of wildlife and plants in Pembrokeshire.

When the opportunity to enter the competition came up we knew it was not to be missed and I really believe that the project we pulled together is brilliant! It benefits so many things – not only does it provide new areas of flower-rich habitat for bumblebees but it links existing wildflower grasslands and should help to strengthen and expand the shrill carder bee population. The project would benefit lots of other wildlife too; Wales, like the rest of the UK, has lost most of its wildflower grasslands, so creating and restoring these habitats will benefit the plants, butterflies, bees, birds and other beasties that depend on them.

It will also create a lovely place to walk, with flowers and bumblebees along the path that takes walkers, horseriders and cyclists through areas that were previously inaccessible, thanks to the new route provided by the MOD. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Countryside Council for Wales also support (and are just as excited about!) the project and, should we win the money, we hope to work together to hold events and walks to help local people and visitors to learn about and enjoy the beautiful flowers and bumblebees of the Pembrokeshire Coast!

So I'd like to ask that you please take a moment to help the shrill carder bee by voting for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (and hence the bumbles!), it only takes one click!

VOTE NOW!

Thanks for your help!

Pippa

Artist's impression!

Hi again....

 

I thought you might like to see an artist's impression of what the habitat might one day look like... No promises at this stage of course - we have to get the money first!

 

Pippa

Pembrokeshire Paradise

Hi all,

New Year's resolution - keep blog up to date! Excuses excuses I know, but I've been so busy since starting with BBCT back in June that my feet have barely touched the ground. Anyway, no time like the present...

So, things are going well - lots of positive things in the pipeline with various bits of exciting partnership work taking shape in Gwent, Pembroke and Wiltshire - more on these soon, I promise! One thing I'd like to tell you all about right now though is the competition that BBCT is currently part of....

Over the next few weeks visitors to the 'Live For the Outdoors' website will get the chance to choose their most worthwhile outdoor project. Six projects from different groups are presented and then there will be a 10 day window in which people can vote. The winner gains up to EUR30,000 to support their project work. The award is being offered by the EOG Association for Conservation. This is a group of outdoor brands and retailers that give money directly to conservation projects worldwide. So far they have supported 21 projects to the tune of EUR500,000. Member brands in the UK include Berghaus, Lowe Alpine UK, Haglöfs, Pertex, The North Face, Grangers, Nikwax, Paramo, Snugpack, SGB Magazine.

VOTING BEGINS at midday on Wednesday 27th January .

Our project...

We will create wildflower-rich habitat to support rare bumblebees along a new 10km path in the Pembrokeshire National Park. By connecting key sites, this attractive route through spectacular scenery will help prevent the national extinction of the shrill carder bee.

Why you should vote for us!
This is a fantastic opportunity to help a really rare bumblebee and create a lovely place for a walk! Your vote will help us to introduce wildflowers along a new path through previously-restricted MoD land at Castlemartin and create wildflower-rich meadows nearby. This will provide essential bumblebee habitat and also create pretty places full of flowers, bees and butterflies for everyone to enjoy. We'll be bringing extra colour and 'buzz' to beautiful Pembrokeshire!

Bumblebees are vital to us as they pollinate many wildflowers and important crops, so it is imperative that we look after them. The project can make a real difference as Pembrokeshire supports many bumblebee species, including the very rare shrill carder bee (a handsome little bumblebee with a high-pitched buzz!).

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and the MoD have already offered to support this exciting project if we can find funding.

So please please vote for the bumblebees!

More soon, I promise!

Pippa

My first bumblebee!

Hello everyone!

 

Well, I'm two days into my new job as Conservation Officer for England and Wales at BBCT, and as you can see I've wasted no time in starting to get to know all my new fluffy, buzzy friends. Here you can see me holding a beautiful, if a little sleepy, early bumblebee. Hopefully I will be finding many other bumblebees over the next few days, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get a chance to see some shrill carder bumblebees tomorrow, when I'm meeting the top bumblebee expert Dr Paul Williams out and about in Kent. The shrill carder bumblebee will be the focus of my work in England and Wales, as it is one of the rarest bumblebee species left in the UK, and desperately needs help to prevent it declining further. I hope to work closely with farmers and other landowners to help create and restore habitat for this special little bee, and will keep you posted with how I get on!