MP Daniel Zeichner and Bumblebee Conservation Trust CEO Andrew Impey looking at the Ruderal bumblebee
5 August 2026
After more than a decade as parliamentary Species Champion for the rare Ruderal bumblebee, Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner has finally seen the species in the wild during a visit to RSPB Hope Farm with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
The nationally scarce Ruderal bumblebee was spotted during a visit organised by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust as part of the relaunched Species Champion initiative, which connects MPs with threatened native species to raise awareness of nature recovery.
Mr Zeichner has championed the Ruderal bumblebee for more than 10 years and had been hoping to see one ever since taking on the role. The sighting brought to an end a good-humoured search that had become something of a running joke with conservationists.
The visit was also an opportunity to highlight the pressures facing bumblebees and other pollinators, and the practical habitat management that can help rare species recover. Hope Farm has become an important site for the Ruderal bumblebee thanks to management that provides the flowers, nesting opportunities and connected habitat the species needs.
Daniel Zeichner said: “I was beginning to wonder whether I’d ever actually see a Ruderal bumblebee, so it was a real pleasure to finally find one after all these years.
“It’s a reminder that protecting nature is about much more than one species. Bumblebees and other pollinators are essential to our food production and to healthy ecosystems, but many remain under pressure from habitat loss and environmental change.
“I’m grateful to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and the team at RSPB Hope Farm for demonstrating the work being done to help these remarkable insects recover. It’s encouraging to see that with the right management, rare species can thrive.”
During the visit, Mr Zeichner also met Dr Andrew Impey, the Trust’s new Chief Executive Officer, and heard more about the Trust’s work to support threatened bumblebee species across the UK.
Andrew Impey, Chief Executive of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, said: “Species Champions play an important role in connecting decision-makers with the wildlife they represent and helping to build understanding of the challenges facing nature. Daniel’s first sighting of a Ruderal bumblebee is a fitting reward for more than ten years of support as the species’ parliamentary champion.
“Bumblebees are essential pollinators, yet many species continue to face pressures from habitat loss, climate change and agricultural intensification. The recovery of the Ruderal bumblebee at Hope Farm demonstrates that conservation works, and that with sustained commitment we can help all threatened bumblebee species return to our countryside.”
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is working with partners, land managers and communities to create and restore the flower-rich habitat bumblebees need. The Ruderal bumblebee sighting at Hope Farm shows that targeted conservation action can make a real difference for scarce species and the wider pollinator populations that healthy ecosystems depend on.