Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust
Bringing the buzz of nature to Londoner’s doorsteps
They’re only tiny, but without them the planet would be in serious trouble. That’s why we wanted to help protect our pollinators – which includes bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies. Climate change and development are destroying their habitats. They’re ending up confined to tiny spaces, unable to move around the landscape which they need to do if they’re going to survive. Predictions suggest 40 to 70% of species could go extinct if we don’t take action.
- Since 1940 we have lost 97% of our wildflower meadows.
- We’re helping rebuild habitat and ‘habitat connectivity’ to tackle the underlying cause of insect decline in the UK.
- Our grant to Buglife will help create ‘B-Lines’ and conserve our vital
Building ‘vertical meadows’ and ‘living lamp posts’
There is a solution – and a beautiful one at that. ‘B-Lines’ are a series of ‘insect pathways’ or stepping stones of wildflowers in public parks and back gardens, across green-roofs and green-walls, through countryside and towns. They link existing wildlife areas together, creating a network, like a railway, that will weave across the British landscape.
Buglife, the Invertebrate Conservation Trust, creates these B-Lines and we’re supporting them with a grant of £24,000 to help with the London phase. This includes testing some new and exciting ways to deliver the B-Lines across an urban environment, such as ‘vertical meadows’ and ‘living lamp posts’.
“Delivering the London B-Line will be a flagship for pollinator recovery, with the B-Line running through the heart of Westminster.”