Honeybees - why are they so important?

There is regular reporting in the media about the declining populations of bees and other pollinators.  This talk will focus on bees' importance for the environment, and the impact of the environment on them.  

Hidden away in Woodbury Salterton, the Exeter Beekeepers Association have their apiary. This seems a curious throwback to earlier times.  Local historian Ursula Brighouse believed that in the sixteenth century, Greendale Barton was the biggest producer of honey and candle wax in the parish, and that this could be the origin of the name 'Honey Lane'.

In the present day, Friends of the Earth, in their Bee Cause campaign (amongst many other voices), remind us that we need bees and other pollinators, yet often take them for granted. Bees pollinate around 80% of wildflowers in Europe.  They are also vital for stable food supplies, and for the varied, colourful and nutritious diets we need and have come to expect.   

But bees are in trouble.  Their decline across the world is caused by a combination of stresses - principally loss of their habitat and food sources, as well as exposure to pesticides and the effects of climate change.  35 UK bee species are under threat of extinction, and all species face serious threats.  Right now, they need us almost as much as we need them.

Basil Strickland of the Exeter Beekeepers Association will talk us through the issues, and help us to understand what individuals and communities can do to counter the threats to honey bees, in particular, and other pollinating insects.

Entry by donation.  No need to book.