Together against loneliness: Workshop for wild bees inspires Bottrop!

Together against loneliness: Workshop for wild bees inspires Bottrop!

On March 4, 2025, a workshop on the subject of “Nesthilfen for wild bees” took place in the Rottrop-Kirchhellen. This event was organized by the blooming landscape Bottrop Gladbeck and had several goals: strengthening environmental protection and social cohesion. Under the motto "NRW against loneliness; together instead of lonely", numerous participants, including many single parents and single people, were invited to build new nesting aids for wild bees together.

The bee expert Werner Gahlen directed the participants who learned under his guidance how nesting aids were made. These small retreats are essential to lure about 40 wild bee species into your own garden. The importance of bees is often underestimated, because they are responsible for added value of around 200 billion euros worldwide and almost 80 percent of herbal foods depend on their pollination performance. Food such as tomatoes, strawberries, apples, blueberries and zucchini would hardly be available without the bees.

Community and nature conservation combined

Heike Schmidt, head of the regional group, described the project as great success during the workshop. The event not only offered the opportunity to build nesting aids, but also promoted the exchange among the participants who were able to make new contacts and make friends. During a lunch together, those present were able to experience the social component of the workshop.

The initiative aims not only to support wild bee population, but also to build social networks. Organizers hope that the successful implementation of the event serves as a model for future projects. The workshop is part of a larger strategy that aims to make a positive contribution to the preservation of biodiversity, whereby further events are already being planned.

variety of wild bees and nesting aids

In Germany there are several hundred wild bee species, and nesting aids are important means to offer them suitable habitats. These can be made from horizontal, mark -based plant stems, reeds, bamboo tube or hardwood with drilled tubes. Some wild bee species even prefer artificially designed mini-part slopes or mini walls made of clay as a neighborhood.

For the planting of the surroundings, locals, nectar and pollen-rich flowers are particularly advantageous. A varied planting also supports wild bees, but nesting aids cannot fully compensate for the loss of natural habitats. A natural retreat, such as old trees, cannot be replaced by nesting aids. These offer ecological niches that are essential for many wild bees. The blue -black wooden bee (Xylocopa Violacea) is particularly common in Germany, which feeds on a variety of different flowers and can be found in sun -exposed habitats such as parks and gardens.

In order to learn more about wild bees and their importance for the environment, interested parties can visit the comprehensive information on the website of the BUND . Contact requests for further events and information about the initiative can be directed to nbl.bottrop-gladbeck@gmx.de