This excerpt has been taken from the News From The Front (NFTF) Mid Summer 2023 article.
So how was #WorldBeeDay and #NoMowMay for you? I have seen signs that our local parks department and highway maintenance people here in Sunny Southend are following some kind of plan when it comes to leaving suitable habitat for pollinators. I will be finding out more about exactly what that plan is as the summer unfolds. What is your local plan?
Some brave souls that do believe we are in an ecological emergency are taking to protecting their little patch of green. That may be a garden or even a patch of green that is not technically theirs. I don’t mean your neighbours garden or the local football pitch.
Verging on the ridiculous
People have different views about verges. Some we see in our area rushing out to mow the small peace of council managed grass around the lamppost outside their house and then adding a harmless pesticide or two just in case that solution the council uses isn’t strong enough.
You know when people say Re Tweets are not an endorsement, well, that’s not true on BFB. Re Tweets are us saying “this looks good go check it out”. There are green spaces left but let’s be honest not many. Every inch/cm matters. Sorry guys but yes size matters!
This from Cllr James Abbott on Facebook:
We have been on standby to help exhausted Bees with our Beevive Bee Revival Kit an absolute must for your keychain or kitchen.
It wasn’t long into May when we got our first opportunity to put our BeeVive kit to good use. My neighbour and her young daughter let me know about this Bumblebee that was on the stairs. She had prepared a container and piece of card which is the basic insect or spider rescue kit to take the bee to the garden but was a little scared. So I took it to the garden and gave it a tiny drop of this magical elixir. Within a few minutes it had gone from lying on its back moving one leg to getting its buzz back. It flew around the garden a couple of times then came back for another round before going about its day. Absolutely amazing feeling and we all felt very proud to have helped.
#BugsMatter
This is the call to action from Buglife who need your help and are asking for Citizen Science volunteers to do vital research. We have been involved with things like #MothNight in the past which was a total washout the first year due to torrential rains and the second year all we attracted with our sugar cane solution was a swarm of Earwigs. This survey is slightly different in the rather sad fact that the data you’re collecting is from dead insects that get caught on the number plate of your vehicle. But vital data nonetheless.
Scientists are working very hard on finding out the true state of the global insect population decline but they need our help so why not check out their website and get involved. It’s a great project for the kids.
Another bug related citizen science project is the Big Meadow Search. It started on 1st June and runs through to 31st August.
We would love to see lots more red dots on this map so please sign up and share this with your friends family and followers. It’s another fantastic opportunity for children to learn more about the importance of nature.
The Big Butterfly Count begins on Friday 14th July 2023 and will run until Sunday 6th August.
You may be even able to combine your efforts and while you are out in the fresh air count a few butterflies along the way. All the info you need to help you is available from their website and they have a cool app for your phone too. Then just point the kids in the right direction and let them get on with it while you layout the picnic blanket.
More to follow 🌎🌍🌎🌍🌎