BEE-STEWARD: a Decision-Support Tool for Helping Pollinators

A ‘virtual safe space’ for understanding how best to manage land for pollinators....

BEE-STEWARD is a freely-available decision-support tool which provides a computer simulation of bumblebee colony survival in a given landscape. It serves to allow researchers, farmers, policymakers and other interested parties to test different land management techniques to ensure sustainable pollination is able to thrive in tandem with successful pollinator populations. BEE-STEWARD is being used by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to help test and guide land management to help bumblebees and farm business thrive in Cornwall. Using BEE-STEWARD, bee-friendly actions are being tested across 1,500 ha of land in collaboration with the Duchy of Cornwall Estate, the National Trust, Trewithen Dairy and Kelly’s of Cornwall.


KEY PEOPLE

Prof Juliet Osborne, Dr Grace Twiston-Davies, Dr Matthias Becher

PARTNERS

University of Exeter, Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit (AONB), Natural England, National Farmers Union (NFU), South Devon AONB, Duchy of Cornwall Estate, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, National Trust, Trewithen Dairy, Kelly’s of Cornwall