1500 volunteers throughout the Netherlands have signed up to act as a “Bee Food Bank” flower-seed distribution point leading up to the annual National Sowing Day on 22 April.
1500 Bee food banks open in advance of the Netherlands’ annual national sowing day
As you are no doubt aware by now, pollinating species are having a hard time. That is why ThePollinators.org called on the whole of the Netherlands to start the season with a substantial food boost in the run-up to National Sowing Day on 22 April. This is achieved by sowing flowers en masse. Last year there were 1,000 ‘bee food banks’, this year there are 1,500 spread across the country.
Dutch citizens get free flower seeds from any of the 1,500 Bees Food Banks!
This year, ordinary citizens of the Netherlands are opening Food Banks for Bees for the fourth time on National Sowing Day.
ThePollinators.org provide the buzzz around it. Due to the overwhelming enthusiasm, their goal is to provide no fewer than 1500 private individuals throughout the country with a distribution package this year.
That must culminate on April 22 in a sowing festival that is unparalleled. Sow organic flowers for bees with tens of thousands of people at the same time. Gardens, balconies, roof terraces, tree pits: fill that space!
Extra sowing: much needed for pollinators! Without pollinators, our menu would be a lot less colorful and nutritious. More than 70% of what is on our plate every day needs pollination by insects. In order to do their important work, pollinators need sufficient pollen and nectar.
Unfortunately, the situation is far from rosy: large areas of the landscape contain virtually no variety of insect food, and certain pesticides make them weak. By sowing a diversity of organic flowers, it helps pollinating species get their much-needed concentrates.
In the weeks leading up to National Sowing Day, Dutch citizens get free flower seeds from any of the 1,500 Bees Food Banks!
How it works
Each of the 1500 volunteer food banks received a package of organic flower seeds (20 bags) from ThePollinators.org at the beginning of April, which they then distributed to local residents. They became food banks for bee food.
Anyone who wants a bag of flower seed can simply send a message to their nearest food bank since about 5 April, right up until the National Sowing Day itself, and go collect their seeds in person (corona-proof of course). In this way, together they ensure that as many people as possible can sow a fine flower mix in the garden or on the balcony on 22 April. This year, two different mixtures are being distributed.
ThePollinators’, a brief History
This is ThePollinators’ 5th years of involvement. How did it go over the years?
2017: The kick-off seed tour
‘On April 22, 2017, we celebrated our official kick-off with a seed tour of more than ten locations. With stickered BMW i3s loaded with Dutch celebrities and seed, we drove around the Netherlands, from North Holland to Limburg. Everywhere we came we sowed organic flowers and made noise to draw attention to bees and other pollinators.’
2018: Food Banks for Bees
‘The second year that we participated in the National Sowing Day, we set up ‘food banks for bees’ for the first time. More than 150 people and shops registered as a distribution point for organic flower seed. The seeds were distributed free of charge, and grateful use was made of it: 2500 people sowed with our seed. We also went out again on April 22 with our BMW i3s and ambassadors.’
2019: The National Sowing Coalition and Bee Food Banks 2.0
‘The bee food banks were a great success in 2018, so a new version could not be missed. In the run-up to April 22, we forged a National Seed Coalition of more than 60 organisations, companies and institutions, all of which helped to spread seed. This allowed us to scale up to more than 500 bee food banks, and distributed 60,000 bags of organic seeds. Main sponsor de Bijenkorf also distributed another 60,000. So there are a lot of flowers!’
2020: Zooming for the bee
‘We will not let a pandemic stop us! The National Sowing Day 2020 was again a great success, despite corona. We have done our utmost to get as many people and organisations as possible to join the National Sowing Day. And it worked. 65 organisations joined the National Seed Coalition, giving us 1,000 bee food banks this year. The double compared to last year. No fewer than 230,000 bags of organic flower mix were distributed and 900,000 m2 of garden and balcony were sown. Those are impressive numbers to beat in 2021!’
Source: ThePollinators.org
HOW TO HELP BEES: 8 PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO BEFRIEND BEES AND MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE
The news is abuzz with hair-raising headlines about global bee health, but what can we actually DO as individuals to help our little friends? The good news is there are plenty of ways you can get involved. Here are 8 ways YOU can do your bit to help bees wherever you live.