Buglife’s B-lines is a UK-wide project designed to combat the loss of wildflowers and pollinators. By reducing habitat fragmentation and improving habitat connections the intention is to both restore high quality wildflower meadows whilst aiding species movement across Britain.
We recently attended workshops held in Glasgow, North Ayrshire and Edinburgh which tapped into local knowledge to both map existing beneficial habitats and identify where action could be taken to create links and habitat rich corridors.
Based on initial mapping and modelling the intention was that by inviting attendees from a range of agencies and community groups the maps would be as comprehensive as possible.
The work dovetails neatly with the Pollinator Strategy for Scotland, where habitat loss is identified amongst the chief threats facing pollinators. If food, shelter and nesting sites can be increased then it follows that our pollinators will be better placed to thrive.
Knowing what pollinator friendly resources are out there is one key outcome of the B-Lines workshops, but arguably the highlighting of areas devoid of pollinator provision is equally important.
In the Edinburgh group some very encouraging signs emerged from the mapping exercise. The Lammermuir Hills across to the Pentland Hills soon emerged as a clear pollinator corridor. This was followed by suggestions that the natural opportunities offered by the River Esk corridors, the Water of Leith route and the Union Canal were areas we could focus on. When we added parks and the John Muir Way along the shoreline we were moving into a comfortable position.
But that said there are still swathes of Edinburgh which need to see pollinator friendly resources created and managed. The mapping exercise clearly revealed ‘barren spots’ where effort is needed to address a lack of habitat.
We’ve lost 97% of wildflower-rich
meadows since the 1930’s
Given that we have lost 97% of our wildflower-rich grasslands since the 1930s it was perhaps inevitable that a less than satisfactory position would be the outcome of our survey. We know too that 13 bee species have been lost to Britain in that same period and that the Great Yellow bumblebee has gone from 90% of its immediate post-war range. However, with the knowledge we gleaned from the Buglife workshop there is a better prospect of creating coherent and valuable pollinator corridors.
The drive will now be on to encourage the developments of an increased B-lines network and look for opportunities to restore and create new wildflower rich habitats. Planting more wildflower meadows will provide vital food sources and adding grasslands and perhaps hedgerows will increase potential nesting sites. Connectivity is the key and that race is on now to maximise what we have and create what we don’t.
Key steps that have been identified include:
- Planting more nectar and pollen-rich flowers, shrubs and trees
- Cutting grass less often
- Avoiding using pesticides and herbicides
- Leaving some ‘wild’ areas for shelter and nesting sites
Helping pollinators in this way will help people too. It is estimated that in the region of 75% of our food crops are pollinated by bees and other pollinators – that’s a figure that includes some of our most popular food stuffs such as apples, tomatoes, strawberries and raspberries. Add to the mix the free pollination services provided to our favourite parkland and garden plants and the value of pollinators is clear.
And that’s before we tally up the natural health service value of simply making us feel better and more inclined to enjoy the outdoors.
Helping our pollinators has never been more crucial. Knowing what we have, and what we need, is a major step on the route to improving the lot of our hard-pressed pollinators.
Buglife is working to expand its B-Line initiative across the Central Scotland Green Network area. With the support of SNH and EU Life funding through the ECoCo Life project the project aims to provide long-term solutions to the loss of both wildflowers and pollinators.
You can help – If you want your garden to be a valuable part of the jigsaw then there are many things you could plant in your space. Here’s a list of just a few pollinator friendly options – Ivy, willow, hawthorn, cherry, crocus, rec clover, bird’s-foot trefoil, scabious, knapweed, yarrow, yellow rattle, vipers bugloss, cornflower, cowslip, cosmos, sage, snowdrop, Echinops, catmint, foxglove, alium, globe arthichoke, thyme, apple, pear, heather, lungwort, rosemary and lavender.
Further reading
Scottish pollinators 