Friends of the earth at it again?

[Russel]

I'm sure it's well intention but the synical side of me thinks otherwise: - bandwagon up our funds. Just wounder how much is actually going towards saving "our " bees?

FOE bee cause map

Maybe BBKA's marketing bods should take a few leaves from the FOE's book?

 

[pargyle]

I'm sure it's well intention but the synical side of me thinks otherwise: - bandwagon up our funds. Just wounder how much is actually going towards saving "our " bees?

FOE bee cause map

Maybe BBKA's marketing bods should take a few leaves from the FOE's book?

Can't knock them for trying ... great marketing and they are doing something positive - every little helps ! The number of wildflower seeds dispersed this year should see the country covered in Phacelia next year !

 

[sunhivebee]

I'm sure it's well intention but the synical side of me thinks otherwise: - bandwagon up our funds. Just wounder how much is actually going towards saving "our " bees?

FOE bee cause map

Maybe BBKA's marketing bods should take a few leaves from the FOE's book?

... and promote what, exactly? They're such a diverse bunch.

 

[Somerford]

I agree...total disclosure of any amount raised.

I think there is much we should do as independent beekeepers.....encourage farmers to cut hedges on a rotation..and this includes roadside hedges too. While we're at it verges need to be less hacked down and encouraged to be a more diverse wildflower bank.

A top to tail tree in hedge row planting scheme should be started, and unused marginal fields should be replanted to wildflower mixes....

Thoughts ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I agree...total disclosure of any amount raised.

I think there is much we should do as independent beekeepers.....encourage farmers to cut hedges on a rotation..and this includes roadside hedges too. While we're at it verges need to be less hacked down and encouraged to be a more diverse wildflower bank.

A top to tail tree in hedge row planting scheme should be started, and unused marginal fields should be replanted to wildflower mixes....

Thoughts ?

Thing are changing slowly (in Wales at least) the Welsh governmwent launched its pollinator initiative at the Royal Welsh this year - the first step is an initiative by the woodland trust giving out packs of over 200 mixed pollinator trees spanning the whole season at a giveaway price (sixty odd quid if I remember) they'll also send out surveyors to help you plan the tree planting (hedgerow, windbreak, whatever) and there are other consultations ongoing.
Natianally Pollinator friendly wildflower mixes are now being pushed as game cover crops specifically for field margins, game shoots have always been in the forefront for assisting in conservation matters and pollinator mixes were being marketed heavily in the National game fair and I spent quite a bit of time there getting material for a pew projects that i am involved with. the BTO has proven that game shoots have a higher incidence of songbirds than other areas - maybe now's the time that pollinators will enjoy the same benefit.

I'm being consulted on a specific pollinator plan for Carmarthenshire involving amongst other things, planting wildflower/pollinator friendly meadows in the larger parks and changing the way roadside verges and hedges are cut (or not in the future as the case may be)
I am also awaiting to see whether my pollinator planting scheme for my community has succeded in winning the £10,000 grant award I need to re-plant some of the village public areas with an array of pollinator perrennial shrubs and plants.

 

[Somerford]

I like the cut of your gib , Jenkinsbrynmair !

 

[beeboybee]

are there any schemes for England where you can get grants for wildflower planting?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

are there any schemes for England where you can get grants for wildflower planting?

It isn't a planting scheme grant as such - it's just there's some money available to communities locally for any worthwhile projects (it was a sop to the less intelligent county councillors to get them to allow planning permission for a load of bloody windmills on our unspoilt mountain - 'shiny beads for the natives' as one critic stated) But thee are always some environmental schemes around - one with us is called 'WREN' it's the landfill tax money which must be ploughed back into the community so the anywhere in Britain that has a landfill site should have a similar scheme and this year pollinator schemes are 'in' - that's where we hope to get match funding

 

[domino]

Friends of the Earth are a professional fund raising organisation first, campaign group second.

 

[Nige.Coll]

the whole country is changing .
people encouraged to plant insect friendly plants.
farmers changing their field layouts .
the country has realised without these insects we will be very hungry.

 

[Russel]

Friends of the Earth are a professional fund raising organisation first, campaign group second.

They're not flavour of the month according to the report from the BBKA's chairmans meeting.

 

[poshpikey]

are there any schemes for England where you can get grants for wildflower planting?

Yes there are. Under ELS. Pollen and nectar strips.

 

[beeboybee]

Els?

 

[pargyle]

They're not flavour of the month according to the report from the BBKA's chairmans meeting.

Why doesn't that surprise me ... ? Seems that the BBKA are continually being upstaged on what can be done for bees and pollinators in general by everyone from the RSPB to the Coop !! At least FOE are doing something ...