Nature / Join in to help the Shetland bumblebee
THE RSPB in Shetland is reaching out to crofters and farmers managing native wildflowers on their land to support and improve the quality of these habitats for insects.
Populations are in serious decline around the world, and the UK is no exception.
Research carried out by Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife has shown that insect numbers in the UK have dropped by almost 60 per cent over the last two decades.
Many insect species play a vital role in pollinating plants — a process essential not just for nature, but for our own survival, says RSBP project officer Harry Britton.
“Here in Shetland, the impact of landscape changes in the last century on bees has largely gone unmeasured, and although we have a relatively good understanding of their distribution, little is known about their populations or how they are coping in our changing environment,” he said.
Shetland is home to six species of bumblebees, all of which play an important role in pollination: white-tailed bumblebee, buff-tailed bumblebee, early bumblebee, heath bumblebee, garden bumblebee and the Shetland bumblebee (moss carder bumblebee).
Among these, the Shetland bumblebee is a species of particular concern.
It’s one of eight key species being protected by Species on the Edge — a partnership between NatureScot and seven conservation organisations aiming to protect 37 of Scotland’s most vulnerable coastal and island species.
With assistance from Shetland Amenity Trust (SAT), the project is focusing on the Shetland bumblebee, as well as the whaap (curlew), peewit (lapwing), linties (twite), peerie deuk (red-necked phalarope), oysterplant, endemic hawkweeds, and the plantain leaf beetle.
“The Shetland bumblebee is endemic to Shetland and the Western Isles – it isn’t found anywhere else in the world,” Britton said.
“It can be easily recognised by the large orange fluffy hair on the thorax and yellow on the abdomen. They can be seen from May – October feeding on flowering plants and nesting in long tussocky grasses.
“We’re currently reaching out to crofters and farmers across Shetland who may be managing native wildflowers on their land – whether you have a small patch or several acres – as we want to support and improve the quality of these crucial habitats.
“To help spread these natural flowers, we have bought a seed collector to harvest native species like yellow rattle, red clover, devil’s bit scabious and bird’s-foot trefoil.
“These flowers help support pollinators, and our aim is that they will be shared with schools, gardeners and others working to boost local biodiversity.”
Anyone interested to get involved in the project or would like advice on establishing or managing a wildflower meadow can contact Harry Britton at harry.britton@rspb.org.uk
To learn more about the Shetland bumblebee and to get involved with conservation in Shetland through BeeWalks, roadside surveys or other volunteering opportunities, please get in contact with Gareth Powell at gareth.powell@rspb.org.uk
The project’s Orkney and Shetland bumblebee identification leaflet can be found here.
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