Championing pollinator conservation with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust

As part of our trusted partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, we are strengthening our ongoing commitment to protecting pollinators and the vital role they play in sustaining ecosystems and global food security through a bumblebee ambassador citizen science programme.

Since 2022, through our Evergreen environmental initiative, Ground Control has been advocating pollinator-friendly landscapes. In collaboration with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Plantlife International, we’ve been trialling innovative approaches to habitat management, from bespoke wildflower mixes to targeted pollinator-focused design.

The lessons learned are already being applied across our Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) habitat banks in Essex and Cambridgeshire, helping shape thriving wildflower meadows, scrubland, and other pollinator-supporting environments.

One of the most exciting developments is taking place at our Wildfell site in Braintree, where we are supporting a bumblebee ambassador programme and a citizen science initiative in partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. This project invites residents and volunteers to participate in regular pollinator surveys, contributing to our understanding of bumblebee health and exploring strategies to support their populations.

The programme trains ambassadors to:

• Learn about the lifecycle and ecological importance of bumblebees
•  Identify species native to the Wethersfield area (the village that surrounds our Wildfell habitat bank)
• Carry out surveys using the BeeWalk methodology

Already, these efforts have yielded exciting discoveries, including a first-time sighting of the rare Brown-banded carder bee (Bombus humilis) at our Wildfell habitat bank near Braintree, Essex.

Community engagement has also flourished, with bee safaris and educational workshops bringing together people of all ages to connect with nature and become active stewards of pollinator wellbeing.

A huge thank you goes to Clare Alley, Land Management Advisor at Bumblebee Conservation Trust. and Chris Bawtree, Nature Recovery Director at Ground Control and Evergreen, for their inspiring leadership and dedication to enhancing pollinator awareness and protection.

Full details on how to join our Citizen Scientist Programme and conduct your pollinator surveys will be shared via the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

Learn more about our Evergreen scheme and habitat restoration work here.