Connecting the Carmarthenshire Coast
The Carmarthenshire Coast offers the most beautiful stretches of sandy beaches but also a range of habitats including fresh water marshes and coastal areas supporting an abundance of flora and fauna. It’s here which is home to a number of rare bumblebee species, some of which are facing severe decline.
Credit: Photo: Red shanked carder bumblebee (Bombus ruderarius) by Richard Comont
The project has been developed to build upon the past rare bumblebee work in Wales by enhancing the connectivity of the area with comprehensive surveys being carried out across key sites, providing us with an accurate picture of populations and habitat for target bumblebee species. The Coast was identified as a possible priority area for the Shrill carder bumblebee (Bombus sylvarum), and several important species, including the Moss carder bee (Bombus muscorum), the Brown-banded carder bee (Bombus humilis), the Red-shanked carder bee (Bombus ruderarius) and the Ruderal bumblebee (Bombus ruderatus) which have all been recorded on Carmarthenshire’s protected sites.
The project is focusing on four key aims, including improving habitat across protected sites and a greater knowledge of the target species. We are engaging with a range of landowners to offer habitat advice to support connectivity on these sites, recruiting volunteers from local under-served communities to undertake survey activities, work parties, including clearing scrub and increasing forage for invertebrates at these sites, and BeeWalk surveys.
A key delivery will be supporting people to access nature on their doorsteps, build conservation skills and knowledge through training. Future plans as the project progresses will focus around commissioning an external consultant to understand the needs of the local community.
Further information
Please email enquiries@bumblebeeconservation.org
