Providing for pollinators
Bees, butterflies, moths and other pollinators are a vital part of our ecosystems. They are hard at work ensuring that 75% of the food crops we plant produce the fruit we want and that the many animal-pollinated plants, vital to healthy ecosystems and the landscape we all love, can survive.
But populations of wild pollinators have crashed at an alarming rate. 1 in 10 pollinating insects in the EU are now threatened with extinction.
It is vital to provide food and habitat for pollinators, reduce pesticides which threaten their survival and undertake research to learn how and why pollinators are disappearing.
What we are doing
Supporting pollinators on farmland
Supporting pollinators in towns and the countryside
Raising awareness of what pollinators need to survive and thrive
Improving evidence on the status of pollinators and the service they provide
On the land that we care for and protect, our management techniques ensure that bees, butterflies and other wild pollinators can find plenty of food, nesting and overwintering sites, and good shelter enabling them to travel safely to forage.
We do this on our farmland by planting a variety of crops, maintaining wide wildflower field margins, using grazing cattle to manage our meadows, and minimising our use of pesticides on our crops.
At our heritage sites and community reserves, we create hedgerow and woodland habitats for pollinators making sure there are wildflowers to provide the pollen and nectar they need for food, and habitat features which provide the nesting sites and shelter they need to survive.
Impact
By co-ordinating our efforts with the UK National Pollinator Strategy and other national initiatives such as BugLife’s B-Lines, we’re committed to making a clear impact and positive difference to pollinator numbers.
Our land management techniques demonstrate to other farmers and land managers what action they can take to improve pollinator numbers, without compromising on essential food production.
We are very grateful to those who have supported us to protect pollinators
Bartlett Taylor Charitable Trust
The C L Loyd Charitable Trust
The Doris Field Charitable Trust
The Henry C Hoare Charitable Trust
Martin Wills Wildlife Maintenance Trust
PF Charitable Trust
Seven Pillars of Wisdom Trust
The Spear Charitable Trust
And to everyone who has donated so far.