SOMERSET Wildlife Trust has launched its first ever crowdfunding campaign to support the area’s bees and butterflies.
The Trust says, “Since the 1930s in the UK we’ve lost 97% of our wildflower meadows, and with them our critical pollinators such as bees and butterflies. To help reverse this decline, and to support the creation of a beautiful expanse of meadow to support Somerset’s bees and butterflies, Somerset Wildlife Trust has created the Perrymead Wildflower Project – which aims to harvest seed from flower rich areas and sow it on species poor areas to create enriched habitats to support more pollinators.
“To help fund this work the Trust has launched its first ever crowdfunding campaign to raise £5,000 by the 31st August and is hoping that people across the county who care about our bees and pollinators will donate to the fund.”
Mark Green, reserves manger, South Somerset, Somerset Wildlife Trust explains, “Insects pollinate our crops and help provide one in every three mouthfuls of our food. That bowl of strawberries or pint of cider you had wouldn’t exist without them – and they do it all for free!
“Collecting seeds from our flower-rich fields at Babcary Meadow Nature Reserve and sowing it onto a species-poor field at Perry Mead Nature Reserve is something that we can do to have an immediate impact in the area in terms of supporting our county’s pollinators. We really hope that the public get behind the crowdfunding campaign so we can raise funds to carry out this work.”
To pledge a donation please visit http:// www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ perry-mead. Any donation, large or small, will make a difference. If you want to tell others, and have a Twitter account use the hashtag #PerryMeadPollinators