In Our Friends the Pollinators kids, youths and adults build homes for pollinators such as honey bees, wild bees and bumble bees. Honey bees are great pollinators, however recent studies have shown that wild pollinators such as solitary bees, bumble bees and butterflies often are even more important for efficient pollination. Unfortunately honey bees are having a tough time and many species of wild pollinators are endangered or already extinct.
One of several contributing factors to the demise of wild pollinators are the disappearance of their habitats. In some cases their situation can be improved by constructing various housing for them. However, constructing a pollinator house can be a good idea even if it might not always be the most effective way of helping the pollinators.
"If backyard bugwatchers become engaged with the interactions they see in their gardens, they might become stronger advocates for keeping highway medians herbicide-free, for assuring that only biological control agents are used to manage pests on food crops and for establishing corridors linking protected areas." - The Forgotten Pollinators, S. L. Buchmann and G. P. Nabhan
If you construct nests for pollinators it's important that they are done correctly. Here is a guide to building houses for pollinators (in Swedish).
"If backyard bugwatchers become engaged with the interactions they see in their gardens, they might become stronger advocates for keeping highway medians herbicide-free, for assuring that only biological control agents are used to manage pests on food crops and for establishing corridors linking protected areas." - The Forgotten Pollinators, S. L. Buchmann and G. P. Nabhan
If you construct nests for pollinators it's important that they are done correctly. Here is a guide to building houses for pollinators (in Swedish).
The photos above and below are from an art camp for kids and youths arranged in collaboration with Tensta konsthall at Eggeby gård in Stockholm 2014 and 2015. During the weeklong camps the participants built houses and beehives for solitary bees, bumblebees and honey bees which were then permanently placed on the farm and inhabited by bees. The beehives were top-bar hives built using wood recycled from exhibitions at Tensta konsthall. The participants also seeded a meadow and learned about beekeeping from the local beekeeping society.
Thanks to Tensta konsthall, Eggeby gård, Sundbybergs och Spångaortens biodlareförening, Eggeby gårds naturskola and The Interior Architecture and Furniture Design Programme at Konstfack in Stockholm (SE).