With urban beekeeping doubling honeybee hives in London in the last ten years, there’s now not enough nectar and pollen to go around, meaning native species of British bee are in danger of extinction in UK cities.*
Additionally, almost a quarter of well-meaning but misguided Brits are now considering taking up beekeeping to help the local honeybee populations thrive again, contributing to a sharp decline in the 300 species of native pollinators.
The research, commissioned by The British Bee Charity and Netflix, also shows that more than a third (35%) of Brits have already noticed massive declines in bee populations in their local areas this summer, with experts believing that as many as 17 species of UK bee are now extinct and many more are at risk.**
Combatting the decline of native species, The British Bee Charity is asking the public to consider their local environment before keeping hives and, in partnership with Netflix, has commissioned a series of comedic life-sized wildflower-filled ‘Growin Atkinson’ sculptures, filled with pollen and nectar-rich wildflowers to celebrate the launch of the new Rowan Atkinson Netflix series, ‘Man vs Bee’.
The trio of comical, ‘bee-edible’ sculptures, launched on the grounds of London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, depict Rowan’s first new TV comedy creation in nearly a decade and have been designed to offer a natural and sustainable food source for native British bees.
Rowan Atkinson says: “My alter ego, Trevor, may go to battle with a bee, but personally I’m pleased to have these eccentric statues help raise awareness of the plight of native British bees in this country. Packed with pollen, nectar and flowering plants to help raise a smile, make people consider the environment and create something of a bee buffet in an effort to help them survive the summer.”
Greg Bool from The British Bee Charity says, “For the most part, people know that honey comes from bees, but few realise there are over 250 species of bumble bees and solitary bees in the UK. With so many people now aware that “bees need help” there’s been an upsurge in the number of honeybee hives in the UK when perhaps we should be educating people on providing more pollen-rich flowers and plants for hungry bees and pollinators. This is why we have partnered with Netflix to create a series of bee-friendly edible flower planters in British national treasure Rowan Atkinson’s likeness – to mark the launch of Man vs Bee, whilst raising awareness of how to support the plight of native species of British bees and pollinators at the same time.”
Two-thirds of people in the UK (66%) are now more worried than ever about the decline of our native species of bee, but 7 in 10 of us can only identify the common honey or bumble even though there are over 250 species in the UK. Moreover, 3 in 10 people have no idea why bees are important to the environment, with half (50%) of the population having no clue what biodiversity is.
With just over two-thirds (67 per cent) putting the decline of bees in their area down to natural habitat loss, the British Bee Charity, supported by Netflix, is encouraging people to take positive action this summer and asking the public to plant as many as 4,000 additional square metres of wildflowers across the capital through the giveaway of wild-flower seeds.
Alongside the provision of “BeeBombs for Schools” and “Bees for Schools” educational initiatives, all free of charge via The British Bee Charity’s website.
Filled with sustainable bee-friendly foodstuffs catering to all species of native pollinators, each sculpture has been packed with plants ranging from helianthus to petunia and shares a wacky likeness to Rowan’s starring role as Trevor in the new Netflix series Man vs Bee – his first original comedy character to hit TV screens for the first time in nearly a decade.
Landing globally on Netflix on the 24th of June, the nine-episode series follows hapless house sitter Trevor as he attempts to take care of a luxury mansion before chaos ensues after being invaded by a mischievous bee; the series promises viewers a hugely enjoyable mix of wacky hi-jinks and physical comedy for which he has become synonymous.
Each ‘Growin Atkinson’ pollen-packed sculpture is on display from today at St Paul’s Cathedral, before being donated to The British Bee Charity to find new homes for where they will offer a sustainable food source for bees all year round.
