Friday 20 May is World Bee Day. In this week’s Thursday Reflection, pupils at the Pilgrims’ School learned about the importance of protecting bees.

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.

Pollination is, however, a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminate hunger in developing countries.

We all depend on pollinators, and it is, therefore, crucial to monitor their decline and halt the loss of biodiversity.

How can we do more?

• plant a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year;
• buy raw honey from local farmers;
• buy products from sustainable agricultural practices;
• avoid pesticides, fungicides or herbicides in our gardens;
• protect wild bee colonies when possible;
• sponsor a hive;
• make a bee water fountain by leaving a water bowl outside;
• help sustaining forest ecosystems;
• raise awareness around us by sharing this information within our communities and networks; the decline of bees affects us all!

(cf. https://www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day 2022)

Mr Bryant