World Bee Day events around Europe, Lyon

Lyon, Frankrijk. De Cathedral St-Jean, de Basilica Notre Dame de Fourviere, en de Tour métallique de Fourvière.
date May 20, 2019 09:00 - May 27, 2019 16:00
city Lyon, France
organisation Directorate-General Environment (ENV) i

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Without pollinators like bees, flies, butterflies and other insects, we would lose the food we need and love - nutritious fruits and vegetables, honey, jam and even chocolate!

In many places in Europe, we have already lost a lot of pollinators, and we keep losing more. 1 in 3 bee and butterfly species are in serious trouble.

We can all help pollinators: Observe the insects at work, they won’t hurt and you will learn a lot! Grow native plants in different colours and shapes, and don’t use chemicals harmful to insects.

The World Bee Day, 20 May, is a time to celebrate the importance of pollinators for our quality of life and our future. The European Commission has joined forces with EAZA, European Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and other partners across Europe, to raise awareness about these precious insects and show how we can all help to slow down their decline.

27 partner institutions in France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, UK, Sweden, Poland, Romania and Slovenia are carrying out educational activities for schoolchildren.

The Bee Day events are part of a wider #EUPollinators campaign to raise awareness and engage society on the protection of pollinators, following the adoption of the first EU Pollinators Initiative in 2018. The communication activities will run in the next two years, creating opportunities for public authorities, researchers, farmers, businesses, and individual citizens to engage in the protection of pollinators.

Citizens are invited to spread the word on why protecting pollinators is important, and to share their story on #EUPollinators.

Background

Insect pollination is a vital driving force, essential for plant reproduction, our supply of healthy food and around € 15 billion worth of the EU’s annual agricultural production. A honeybee is the most well-known pollinator species, but pollinators include around 2,000 bee species, 900 hoverfly species, 500 butterfly species, 8,000 moth species and many other insects.

Wild pollinators are in strong decline. Around one in ten bee and butterfly species in Europe is on the verge of extinction, while one in three has a declining population. To address this decline, the European Commission adopted in June 2018 the EU Pollinators Initiative. This is the first-ever EU action to address the decline of wild pollinators, yielding more than 30 targeted actions in a coordinated way across different sectors and policies.

The following institutions have partnered up with the European Commission to celebrate #EUpollinators:

France: Parc Zoo du Reynou, Zoo Amiens Metropole, Planète Sauvage, Zoo Lyon,Parc Animalier de Sainte Croix, Parc de Lunaret, La Vallée des Singes, Zoodyssée

Ireland: Dublin Zoo

Italy: Zoo delle Maitine, Bioparco di Sicilia, Parco Natura Viva, Parco Zoo Punta Verde

Germany: Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz-Zgorzelec, Wilhelma Zoological and botanical garden

The Netherlands: Stichting Apenheul

Poland: Zoo of Gdańsk

Portugal: Associação de Municípios Parque das Serras do Porto, Parque Biologico de Gaia, Jardim Zoologico de Lisboa (Lisbon zoo)

Romania: Bucharest Zoo

Slovenia: Ljubljana Zoo

Spain: Barcelona Science Museum

Sweden: Järvzoo - Nordic Wildlife Park

United Kingdom: Nescot College, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

EU Pollinators- postcards in all EU languages

20 May 2019

English (25 MB - ZIP)

DownloadZIP - 25 MB

Practical information

When

Monday 20 May 2019, 9.00 - Monday 27 May 2019, 16.00 (CEST)

Organiser

Environment

Topic

Environment

Related links


1.

Directorate-General Environment (ENV)

This Directorate-General proposes new environmental laws and monitors the implementation of the new measures by the member states. The main goal is to protect the environment for future generations and to encourage sustainable development.

2.

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