Children inspire Backyard Nature ‘mission’ to halt the decline of bees

Following the July launch of Backyard Nature by the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation and Semble, the UK’s leading organisation for grassroots community projects, children are being asked to help stop the decline of bees in the UK by planting wildflower seeds across the country.

Statistics from The Bumblebee Conservation Trust state that a third of the species of British wild bees and hoverflies are in decline, and 97% of the UK’s wildflower meadows have disappeared in the last 80 years, leaving bees with less to eat.

The ‘Eco Emeralds’, a group of young environmentalists from All Saints Catholic Primary School in Anfield, Liverpool, who inspired Backyard Nature, came up with the campaign’s first ‘mission’ to ‘Save the Bees’. The Eco Emeralds are now leading the charge and encouraging other children to become ‘Backyard Nature Guardians’ and plant wildflower seedballs in their own neighbourhoods.

On 14 September 2019, more than 330,000 seedballs, containing over 15 million wildflower seeds, will be handed out for free in Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores nationwide. The objective is to expand the habitats for bees, which help to produce one third of all the food we eat.

Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland and trustee of the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, said: “Bees are an integral part of our ecosystem and provide a vital pollination service to UK crops. These wonderful creatures are quickly disappearing and they are in desperate need of more places to live and eat.

“Seedballs will be available free of charge to members of the community visiting our stores on 14 September. Once grown, these wildflowers will provide much needed habitats for bees, helping them to survive and thrive again.”

Mark Shearer, co-founder of Semble said “At its core, Backyard Nature is about inspiring young environmentalists to get their hands dirty and start to engage directly with accessible nature activities. Having thousands of Backyard Nature Guardians come together to plant 15 million wildflower seeds will create a real environmental impact across the UK. It will also mark the start of an environmental journey for many children, especially those living in inner city areas.”

Sign up to be a Backyard Nature Guardian now at www.backyardnature.org