Wildflower corridor scheme launched to boost insect numbers in England
The B-Lines initiative will create a network of wildflower highways across England to help bees and other pollinators.
Dubbed B-Lines, the online map joins the dots between existing wildflower habitats in England and identifies suitable routes between them that could be turned into wildflower corridors for pollinators.
The map was launched by the conservation charity Buglife, which is calling on farmers, businesses, public bodies and individuals to plant wildflowers along its B-Lines network in a bid to restore habitats that pollinators depend on.
England has lost an estimated 97 per cent of its wildflower meadows since the second world war. This rampant habitat loss has had a catastrophic effect on butterflies, hoverflies and bees, with numbers of some species estimated to have fallen by 80 per cent in recent years.
āWildflower corridors canāt make up for the loss of so many meadows but they can be part of bringing nature back,ā said Paul de Zylva, nature campaigner at Friends of the Earth.
Buglife has identified five things people can do to help the UKās ailing pollinators and is encouraging people to add any habitats they create to its B-Lines map.
āEvery action for pollinators, no matter how big or small, can contribute to the B-Lines network and a secure future for Englandās pollinators,ā said the charity. āWe invite everyone to record their contributions on the B-Lines online map.ā
Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees
Let your garden grow wild
Cut your grass less often
Leave insect nests and hibernation spots undisturbed
Think carefully about whether to use pesticides
