Nature Unlocked: Trees for bees

Find out how you can help pollinators on your next visit to Wakehurst.

Bumblebee pollinating a purple flower

Trees for bees is our citizen science project at Wakehurst. With your help, we can find out what trees pollinators like best and how to make our cities more pollinator-friendly.

We often think of insects buzzing around our flower beds or meadows, but pollen and nectar also come from trees, which only have a tiny footprint in our landscapes. 

Whether insect-pollinated or wind-pollinated, flowering or cone-bearing, trees are key to lots of species.

Trees for bees aims to identify which trees at Wakehurst are most effective for supporting diverse populations of bees and other insects, like wasps, butterflies and moths. 

Whilst there have been many studies over the years focusing on pollinators, very few have looked at the value of trees within pollinator communities.  

Close up of buff-tailed bumblebee foraging for pollen on strawberry tree
Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) foraging for pollen and nectar on strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Hauke Koch © RBG Kew
A pair of small insects on a white flower
A pair of red mason bees (Osmia bicornis) on an apple blossom © RBG Kew
A black and yellow bumblebee feeding on a pink white flower
Garden bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) © RBG Kew
Close up of a honeybee Apis mellifera on a yellow flower of ivy
Honeybee (Apis mellifera) on ivy flower (Hedera helix), Hauke Koch © RBG Kew

We need you your help

We would like to find out what our pollinators are foraging on at Wakehurst. We can’t do this alone - we need your help! 

Take a walk around the gardens, counting the insects that are visiting flowering or pollen producing trees to help us collect data essential for our scientist's work. 

By taking part in our project, you’ll become a citizen scientist, helping find solutions to environmental changes. 

We’re looking to plant trees that are favoured by our pollinators but also suitable for a changing climate, in our urban areas. 

The study will consider which trees are most effective at reducing the impact of heavy rainfall and pollution, promoting human wellbeing, keeping cities cooler and providing shade. As well as which trees enhance biodiversity by supplying vital resources for insects that are not pollinators. 

A bumble bee on a flower
Bumblebee, Seb Kettley © RBG Kew

How to get involved

The Trees for Bees project is open to anyone and everyone who wants to take part. All you need is a smart phone and the Trees for bees app. 

You’ll find instructions on how to start monitoring pollinators in the landscape in our citizen science guide available at the Visitors Centre on arrival and as a downloadable PDF. 

 

Tree species list and pollinator ID guide

 

Thank you for taking part in the Trees for bees project. 

Running from March to September 2024 – don’t miss out. 

Results, growth and recognition 

All findings for Nature Unlocked projects will be made public and shared via Wakehurst. 

By taking part in Trees for Bees, you will have an opportunity to contribute to impactful scientific research; become part of a citizen science collective; and develop skills in data collection and insect identification. 

Credit for data collected by citizen scientists will be given through our citizen science team. 

For more information on citizen science, email naturelab@kew.org .