A new home for bees
According to the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation’s Red List of endangered species, over half of the country’s 561 species of wild bees are at risk of extinction. The causes of this decline are manifold – in urban areas, for instance, nests and sources of sustenance are becoming increasingly scarce, largely due to a rise in land sealing and lack of wild meadows. Deutsche Wohnen has recognised the need for action and hopes to turn its green outdoor spaces into wild-flower meadows where wild bees and other insects can make their home.
Bees are crucial to our ecosystems: as a link in the food chain for birds, bats and another creatures, they help maintain biodiversity. They also dust around 80 per cent of plants with pollen, helping secure a large component of our food supply. Without the work of wild bees and honeybees, farming yields would be much lower – affecting not just a wide range of fruit and vegetable varieties, but plants like sunflowers, too.
What would a garden be without bees?
To protect wild bees and other insects, selected outdoor spaces will be turned into wild meadows. With this approach, Deutsche Wohnen hopes to give the insects new homes. The past year has already seen the first green spaces in Brunswick and Berlin planted with colourful shrubs and hiding places for the little creatures. These natural spaces, carefully preserved according to environmental criteria, can now offer the endangered insects a new home. And tenants can enjoy the variety of flowers and buzzing of the local wild bees. The project is set to continue in the coming year – after all, what’s good for wild bees can benefit other insects and humans, too.
For the love of bees
Are you a Deutsche Wohnen tenant? Would you like to turn your outdoor space into a paradise for bees and other insects? Simply send an email with your name and address to
bienenzuhause@deuwo.de
