This Valentine’s Day, West of England residents can let their love grow and even spread the love to help out the region’s fuzzy friends - bees.
That’s according to regional Mayor, Dan Norris, who is urging locals to check out his five simple steps to help pollinators, whose services are worth around £1.8 billion a year in boosting yields and the quality of yummy fruit and veg - including here in the West of England region. People can do things like get green-fingered by planting more flowers that are rich in nectar and pollen, eat local honey and ditch those bee-harming pesticides once and for all, says the Mayor.
This gift guide comes as studies show the UK has lost around 13 bee species in recent years, with another 35 at risk because of climate change, habitat loss, and bee-killing pesticides.
Dan Norris and big regional firm Yeo Valley last month teamed up to call on ministers to stop ignoring the science, and block a bee-killing pesticide called 'Cruiser SB' from being used.
Mayor Dan Norris, who is delivering on his pledge to make the West of England the Bee and Pollinator Capital of the UK, said: “It’s fair to say bees haven’t been feeling the love of late - not least because of things like the climate crisis, and those bee-harming pesticides. The good news is there are loads of simple things we can all do to help on the most romantic day of 2024, and beyond - from eating local honey, to leaving those hibernating pollinators well alone! Let’s show our pollinator friends some love this Valentine’s Day.”
Dan Norris has introduced the £1m Pollinator Fund and annual Bee Bold Awards celebrating organisations going "above and beyond" to support pollinators to help deliver on his "Pollinator Capital" pledge.
