After the original event had to be postponed due to COVID-19, the Conference for the Bee 2020 of the province of Utrecht took place on November 25th. We had chosen to organise a hybrid event, where the moderator and speakers were physically present and the audience could tune in digitally. This turned out great! Under moderation of Eddy Zoëy, known for ‘Natuurlijk Zoëy’ on RTV Utrecht, Menno Reemer (EIS Kenniscentrum Insecten) opened the symposium. He guided us to the wonderful world of the wild bee:
”There are over 360 different species of wild bees in the Netherlands, ranging from small, black bees to wooly, brightly coloured bumblebees. Every species has their own story. The more people know these stories, the more passionate they become to protect nature in which these bees find their home. It is therefore fitting that the province of Utrecht pays attention to these stories.
Menno Reemer
Chris Achterberg (Van den Bijtel Ecologisch Onderzoek) executed a study into the presence and distribution of wild bee populations, commissioned by the province of Utrecht. He presented the results of this study during the symposium.
Furthermore, inspiring initiatives were shared that positively impacted the wild bee. The municipality of Utrecht shared enthusiastic stories about the green bus stops in the city of Utrecht and the ‘bee-friendly’ restoration of forts in Lunetten. Wilder Land (formerly ptthee), winner of the ASN Bank World Award 2019, took us into the fields and shared their stories about biodiverse herbal tea. A citizen movement from Houten named ‘Houtense Bijzaken’, showed how they came into action for the wild bee, supported by the province of Utrecht.
Would you like to see how such a hybrid event might look like? You can rewatch the Conference for the Bee here.