The Get Britain Buzzing Campaign

A major campaign highlighting the crisis facing key British pollinators will be launched in London today.

The abundance of bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies and moths is on a dramatic downward slide. These animals are the main pollinators of UK crops and wildflowers, and more than 250 key pollinator species are currently threatened with extinction.

Now the charity Buglife – the Invertebrate Conservation Trust is launching the "Get Britain Buzzing" campaign which aims to galvanise the public and leading decision-makers into positive action to reverse the trend.

The campaign to save bugs on the brink will be launched at the Royal Society by Buglife president Germaine Greer and TV presenter and wildlife enthusiast Bill Oddie. A recorded message from former Prime Minister Tony Blair will open the event.

They will urge the public, farmers, business leaders and politicians to act now to restore pollinators in the countryside before more threatened species pass the point of no return.


UK crop pollination by insects is valued at more than £440 million per annum, about 90 per cent of which is undertaken by wild pollinators. We have lost 3,000,000 hectares of wildflowers since WWII. It is estimated that we rely on pollinators for one in every three mouthfuls of food that we eat.

Without urgent action the risk is that fewer flowers will result in fewer pollinators which will mean less pollination and a downward spiral threatening dire consequences for UK ecosystems.

The "Get Britain Buzzing" campaign will:

• Increase our understanding of why pollinators numbers are declining.

• Stop extinctions and declines of pollinators in the UK.

• Inform people across the nation about how critical pollinators are to our everyday lives, particularly for food production.

• Raise funds to help protect, restore and recreate wildflower habitats for UK pollinators.


• Persuade politicians to pursue policies that help to conserve pollinators.

Details will be released at the launch of actions that people and organisations can take to improve the lot of those little things that run the world. The Charity’s plans for pursuing the campaign during the coming months will also be revealed.

The "Get Britain Buzzing" campaign will be officially launched at 5.30pm at the Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG on Tuesday, May 17, 2011.