Short Hair Bumblebee Returns to the UK
The RSPB charity were delighted to have been part of a new project to reintroduce an extinct bumblebee back to our shores. The short-haired bee was last seen in the UK way back in 1998, but a new selection of Queen’s will be released on RSPB land after being flown over from Sweden.
They will be released on the edge of Kent at the RSPB reserve at Dungeness, with hopes that they will blossom in the perfect wildflower habitat. There are 25 different species of bee in the UK, with over a quarter of them in decline, and two extinct.
The charity worked alongside the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Natural England to make this exciting project possible. This will now open the distinct possibility of other insects being flown in to repopulate if the scheme is successful.
Project Manager, Nikki Gammans, said –
Bumblebees are an intrinsic part of the British countryside, but some species are disappearing before our eyes. That’s why the project to bring back the short-haired bumblebee is so important. Bringing this extinct species back to the UK shows what can be done for wildlife by working together. The queens we released last year have had a very tough time with the weather last summer, so it was vital that we return to Sweden and bring back more queens to bolster the colony at Dungeness. There’s a lot more work to be done but thanks to the local farmers in this area of Kent and East Sussex, our friends in Sweden, a crack team of volunteers and the wildlife experts involved in the project, there is hope for all our threatened bumblebees.
Though reintroduction will definitely take some time, it’s great to know that there are charities out their working together to ensure that all natures creatures are being cared for, even the smallest ones like the short haired bumblebee. Here’s hoping that more farmers and landowners become more involved in interesting and innovative projects such as this one.
If you would like to help provide funds to aid RSPB’s ongoing projects across the country, check out our dedicated charity page where you can learn more about their work and how you can help.