BUZZING IN THE
NORTH WESSEX DOWNS
Community groups from all over the North Wessex Downs are planting bulbs for bees and other pollinators thanks to a generous grant from Holcim UK and a big discount from Boston Bulbs!
How hard can it ‘bee’ to look after pollinators?
Bees are amazing creatures. Not only do they make tasty honey, but they are also involved in pollinating lots of our food and wild flowers.
The honeybee is just one species. Did you know that there are about 270 species of wild bee in the UK? As they look out for us, we need to make sure we help protect them too.
However, wild bee populations have reduced by about a third in the last 30 years. Bees might be under threat, but we can all do our bit to make the world a bee-friendly place. Which is why we’re asking communities across the North Wessex Downs to help us to plant 40,000 early-flowering bulbs to provide vital pollen and nectar to sustain our buzzing buddies when they first emerge in the spring.
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In winter, UK bees either hibernate (queens and solitary bees in sheltered spots like under the ground or in cocoons) or form a cluster to keep the hive warm (honeybee workers and queens). Honeybees cluster around the queen, shivering and fluttering their wings to generate heat, while consuming stored honey for energy. When they emerge in the spring, their reserves are spent and they need plenty of opportunities to replenish them, which is why it’s important that there are lots of early flowers available to them.​
So, to provide new habitat for all our bees and other pollinators, we've got together with community groups from across the North Wessex Downs and beyond to plant over 70,000 spring-flowering bulbs, and every one of them could mean the difference between life and death for a newly-emerged bee!
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More than 100 new foraging areas for bees and other pollinators will be created by over 70 community groups around the North Wessex Downs on the weekend of 18th and 19th October 2025! ​
Zoom in on the map and click on a bee to see who's planting.
Click/tap on the MapHub button for a full screen map
Buzzing in the North Wessex Downs has been supported by a grant from Holcim UK and a generous discount from Boston Bulbs
