BeeWalk

Credit: Photo: Tom Luck

Active since 2008 and opened up as a public citizen science scheme in 2010 and 2011, the aim of the scheme is to collect abundance and distribution data on Britain’s bumblebees, and to use this data as widely as possible. Ireland and Northern Ireland are part of an equivalent scheme.

Volunteer BeeWalkers walk a fixed monitoring route (a transect) once a month between March and October inclusive, recording the abundance of each bumblebee species seen, and submitting this data to us via the BeeWalk website.

The growth of the dataset into one of the largest bumblebee datasets in the world means its profile is ever-increasing, which is important for the Trust’s policy and advocacy work, as well as the integral role the data plays in our scientific research.

The Trust carries out a range of research in-house, such as annual population trend analysis for the BeeWalk Annual Report, key to the scheme’s ability to act as an early warning system for species declines. We also collaborate with a number of research institutions, investigating a range of subjects such as population changes in response to land use and climate change, and species habitat interactions. The dataset is available via the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and through downloads from these sites alone has been cited in over 40 scientific papers. The reach and influence of the dataset continues to grow, making the Trust the go-to organisation for up-to-date bumblebee data.

To ensure our BeeWalkers are able to carry out their surveys accurately and effectively, and the data is the highest quality possible, the BeeWalk team offer a range of support and guidance. Live online and in-person training events are regularly scheduled during the bumblebee season and a dedicated member of staff is available three days a week to answer queries and provide support. There is also access to a variety of online training recordings and video tutorials on our You Tube channel. Plus, our Skills for Bees projects are providing intensive on-the-ground support and bumblebee ID and survey training in under recorded areas of Britain.