{"id":89951,"date":"2025-04-03T15:48:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T14:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/?p=89951"},"modified":"2025-05-19T01:31:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T00:31:47","slug":"saving-the-shrill-carder-bee-bumblebee-conservation-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/saving-the-shrill-carder-bee-bumblebee-conservation-in-the-uk","title":{"rendered":"Saving Wales\u2019s rarest bumblebee: Bumblebee conservation in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Volunteers across the UK are tracking bumblebee populations through a national citizen science survey. But can their efforts help save one of Britain\u2019s most threatened wild pollinators?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker-through-urban-housing-by-Tom-Luck_Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Over ten years, BeeWalkers have created one of Britain\u2019s most valuable ecological datasets. Credit: Bumblebee Conservation Trust<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people pass by without noticing, but each month thousands of volunteers across the UK slow down their steps, carefully observing every bumblebee along their path. They are part of BeeWalk, a citizen science project run by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumblebeeconservation.org\/\">Bumblebee Conservation Trust<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over ten years, these volunteers have created one of Britain\u2019s most valuable ecological datasets, helping scientists track population trends and understand how different species are responding to environmental change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the equivalent of having a thousand scientists out pretty much at the same time every month for ten years,\u201d says Tom Bucher-Flynn, a project officer at the&nbsp;Bumblebee Conservation&nbsp;Trust. \u201cIt\u2019s very powerful in terms of the data, and I think we\u2019ve recorded our millionth bumblebee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Volunteers follow the same set transects once a month, recording the number of bumblebees they see. \u201cA volunteer will go out and walk a transect, count the number of bumblebees once a month,\u201d Tom explains. \u201cIt\u2019s the same set transect, so we can compare across different months, across different weather patterns and what\u2019s happening with our bumblebees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With thousands of participants across the country, BeeWalk offers one of the largest datasets on bumblebee abundance in the UK. \u201cAll together it proves a really valuable data set,\u201d Tom says. \u201cIt allows us to compare what\u2019s happening in southeast England to what\u2019s happening in Scotland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89992\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89992\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bumblebees play a vital role in pollinating wild plants and crops across the UK.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Last Saturday, a BeeWalk was held at Hendre Lake Park in Cardiff. Thirteen people joined the session and recorded several common species, including the buff-tailed bumblebee. \u201cIt\u2019s still very early in the year for bumblebees,\u201d Tom says. \u201cBut we saw a fair few, which is nice to see at this time of year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These walks are not only about data collection. For many, they offer a way to reconnect with nature. Tom believes public interest has increased since the pandemic. \u201cSince lockdown, a lot of people are looking for a chance to be in nature,\u201d he says. \u201cThey enjoy having an excuse to be outside and immersed in the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the walk in Hendre Lake Park, Tom introduced participants to one of the rarer bumblebee species in the UK, the<a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/uncategorised\/how-can-you-help-one-of-the-u-k-s-most-endangered-bee-species\"> shrill carder bee<\/a>. Recognised by its distinctive high-pitched buzz, it is a rare species that calls the park home, although it was too early in the year to expect a sighting. The event was a chance to help people recognise the species and learn more about its current conservation status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He pointed out that the UK has 24 bumblebee species in total, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumblebeeconservation.org\/resources\/the-big-8-common-uk-bumblebees\/\">eight common species<\/a> and six cuckoo bumblebee species, which lay their eggs in the nests of other bumblebees. The remaining eight species are considered scarce or in decline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalk-Brockhill-Country-Park-by-Clare-Alley_-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The aim of BeeWalk is to collect abundance and distribution data on Britain\u2019s bumblebees, and to use this data as widely as possible.&nbsp;Credit: Bumblebee Conservation Trust<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The shrill carder bee is one of them, and its range has decreased significantly over the past 50 years. As a result, it is now listed as a species of conservation concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tom explains that its decline is linked to a combination of habitat loss, farming changes, and climate pressures. \u201cIt needs good nesting habitat, long tussocky grassland, and flowers available from when they emerge in May until about August or September,\u201d he says. \u201cIt is a bee with kind of complex needs. Any break in the availability of flowers may be disastrous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years, the weather has added more pressure. \u201cLast year\u2019s weather was one of the most extreme we\u2019ve had,\u201d Tom says. \u201cPoor weather, pesticides, and habitat loss are all affecting bumblebees at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To protect species like the shrill carder bee, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust is working with partners through Natur am Byth, Wales\u2019s flagship species recovery programme. The project brings together nine environmental charities and Natural Resources Wales, and is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Natural Resources Wales, and the Welsh Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are working with landowners to better manage sites and restore habitats,\u201d Tom says. \u201cSome special sites of scientific interest are in poor condition or have been disturbed, so we are reviewing grazing and working to improve them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/BeeWalker_credit-Bumblebee-Conservation-Trust-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A BeeWalker observing wildflowers during a survey walk. Events like this offer people a chance to reconnect with nature. Credit: Bumblebee Conservation Trust<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Trust leads the conservation work for the shrill carder bee within this programme. The species now survives in only a few small populations, including three critical sites in South Wales: Pembrokeshire, the Gwent Levels, and Kenfig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There has already been some success. In Kent, the Trust has been working for a long time through one of its team members, who has been engaging with farmers, restoring habitats, and monitoring shrill carder bees across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA colleague has been doing a lot of engagement work with farmers, improving habitat and monitoring shrill carder bees over Kent,\u201d Tom says. \u201cAnd last year, a shrill carder bee turned up in an area of Kent where it hadn\u2019t been recorded since 2012. It was really good to see a species coming back to that area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Community groups and schools are also getting involved. In Newport, a local school has already started working with the Trust, and there are plans to expand the programme through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumblebeeconservation.org\/learn-about-bumblebees\/bumblebee-friendly-schools-award\/\">Bumblebee-friendly Schools Award<\/a>. \u201cAny school can join,\u201d Tom says. \u201cTeachers can find out what they need to do on our website.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Volunteers remain at the heart of the conservation effort. Local groups like the Conservation Volunteers of St. Mellons help with habitat management and will also take part in monitoring. \u201cWe can\u2019t implement all this conservation without the help of volunteers,\u201d Tom says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"2500\" loading=\"lazy\" data-id=\"90875\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90875\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-120x300.jpg 120w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-770x1925.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-614x1536.jpg 614w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-819x2048.jpg 819w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-293x733.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"2500\" data-id=\"90875\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90875\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-120x300.jpg 120w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-770x1925.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-614x1536.jpg 614w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-819x2048.jpg 819w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Green-and-Brown-Playful-Gardening-For-Beginners-Infographic-1-293x733.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Individuals can also help from home. Leaving lawns unmown in spring, planting wildflowers, and providing spaces for nesting are all simple actions that support wild bees. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s just as simple as not mowing your lawn,\u201d Tom says. \u201cDandelions are really useful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tom points out that while honeybees often receive more public attention, they are managed species, much like livestock. Bumblebees, by contrast, are wild, and they are the ones most in need of help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe really need to be fighting for the wild animals,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re the ones that really need help at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re excellent pollinators, and pollinators bring in about 350 million pounds per year to the UK economy. So financially, they\u2019re very important. And we\u2019ve only got 24 species of them, so we need to make sure that we fight to keep every single one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load\" title=\"Bumblebees and honeybees - what&#039;s the difference?\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"about:blank\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rQO-md2_DVY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><noscript><iframe title=\"Bumblebees and honeybees - what&#039;s the difference?\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rQO-md2_DVY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thousands of volunteers are tracking bumblebees through a UK-wide survey. But can it help save one of our most threatened wild pollinators?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1260,"featured_media":90084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[67,132,564],"coauthors":[1294],"class_list":["post-89951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-environment","tag-bees","tag-climate-change","tag-wildlife"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Saving Wales\u2019s rarest bumblebee: Bumblebee conservation in the UK - InterCardiff<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/saving-the-shrill-carder-bee-bumblebee-conservation-in-the-uk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Saving Wales\u2019s rarest bumblebee: Bumblebee conservation in the UK - InterCardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thousands of volunteers are tracking bumblebees through a UK-wide survey. But can it help save one of our most threatened wild pollinators?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/saving-the-shrill-carder-bee-bumblebee-conservation-in-the-uk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"InterCardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-03T14:48:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-19T00:31:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/photo-1718394992317-8a0f3c592f85-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"562\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Hao Chen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Hao Chen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/saving-the-shrill-carder-bee-bumblebee-conservation-in-the-uk\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/saving-the-shrill-carder-bee-bumblebee-conservation-in-the-uk\",\"name\":\"Saving Wales\u2019s rarest bumblebee: Bumblebee conservation in the UK - 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