Imagine trying to travel around Britain without our road and rail network. Or imagine if nine out of every ten miles of road just didn’t exist – life would be extremely difficult! Well for much of our wildlife this is the reality. Many animals and plants have become confined to tiny fragments of habitat and for many, they are unable to move across the countryside as our climate and landscape rapidly changes.
There are over 4,000 species of native bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinating insects in the UK. It is the diversity of insect pollinators that is important. Insects are responsible for pollinating at least 70% of our crops and 90% of wild plants - worth approximately £690 million to the UK economy each year.
Recent research highlights that the abundance of our pollinators is in drastic decline and several species are now threatened with extinction in the UK. The major factor contributing to pollinator declines is the substantial reduction in the area and connectivity of wildflower-rich grassland. Habitat loss and subsequent habitat fragmentation prevents insect pollinators from moving and mixing across our landscape which can lead to isolation and local extinctions.
Buglife is working to address pollinator declines through our B-Lines initiative. B-Lines are continuous routes that weave across the countryside connecting the best sites for pollinators. Through B-Lines we are working with others to restore and create large areas of wildflower-rich habitat within a prioritised and connected network. This approach is helping to conserve and enhance existing insect pollinator populations, while also making it easier for these pollinators and other wildlife to move freely around our countryside. B-Lines have been identified across most of the UK with the remainder to be completed by the end of 2020.
Scotland’s first B-Lines the John Muir Pollinator Way
In Scotland, the very first B-Line was identified along the John Muir Way (JMW) in 2015, known as the John Muir Pollinator Way. The JMW is a 134-mile walking and cycling route that passes through nine local authorities from Dunbar in East Lothian to Helensburgh in Argyll & Bute. Using this long-distance route as a large-scale pollinator network was a new approach for the project. It offered huge opportunities to deliver environmental objectives alongside recreational benefits.
An initial mapping exercise identified opportunities for habitat creation and enhancement along the entire route of the JMW, including on school grounds, golf courses, public parks, sites with nature conservation designations including Local Nature Reserves and more.
The first site along the route identified for habitat creation works was selected in Bo’ness in Falkirk through a partnership project with the council. Through this project over one hectare of amenity grassland was transformed into a colourful meadow. The area was sown with a diverse mix of both native wildflowers and grasses to provide forage for pollinators throughout the season, as well as food and nesting habitat for other invertebrates and wildlife. Locals and visitors using the JMW have also benefitted through the addition of colour to the area.
Since this meadow, further funding has been received to enhance sites for pollinators along the entire route of the JMW. A total of 65 sites have been created and enhanced (so far) with more sites due to benefit along the route in 2020.
Through habitat creation works, Buglife are engaging with communities to raise awareness of the plight of our pollinators, how B-Lines are benefitting them and what they can do in their local area. The creation of flower rich areas for pollinators in urban areas is having a positive impact on the health and well-being of people and communities.
As well as enhancing habitat for pollinators along the JMW we are also working with partners and communities to enhance habitat along B-Lines in South Lanarkshire, West Lothian and North Ayrshire and have run successful meadow creation projects in Fife and Glasgow. The sites we work on are all on public land and it’s important for people and wildlife that the areas are managed appropriately to ensure that plant species diversity is maintained for the long-term benefit of wildlife.
With the rest of the Scotland B-Lines map due to be completed shortly, who knows where else we will go to enhance and better connect habitat for pollinators. The best thing about B-Lines is that anyone can get involved!
Suzanne Burgess is the Manager of Buglife Scotland. The views expressed in this article are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Bright Blue.