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Utrecht, the city of bees
We can all recognize that cities are riddled with concrete and that any imaginative opportunity that brings "green" and biodiversity to the city will be welcome!
This time, we have to go to the city of Utrecht, in the Netherlands, to verify that the authorities are taking advantage of public spaces to improve the health of the city and increase green spaces.
The idea, to remodel 316 bus stops, equipping them with "green roofs". The roofs that are covered with sedum flowers (They are annual or perennial plants, fleshy leaves and beautiful flowering) that act as an oasis for bees.
It is no longer just about sheltering bees, plants also help absorb rainwater, regulate temperature, capture dust or air pollutants. Not to mention many other benefits, including: reducing noise pollution, reducing stress, increasing biodiversity, beautifying the city, absorbing carbon, and improving air quality.
Although obviously the cover of a bus stop is not very wide, everything contributes, it is good, and more, if we take into account that in the center of cities green spaces are scarce and a lot!
In addition to the remodeling carried out on the roof, bamboo benches have been installed and all the lighting has been replaced by efficient LED lamps with the intention of providing a more sustainable space.
To have a little more knowledge of why this unique space dedicated to pollinators has been created, we should read the report published in Nature (Study that deals with urban spaces in England and what is happening with bees) and the study of Greenpeace with the title “The decline of the bees”.
Bees are reaching a critical point because they are expected to meet their
purpose in an increasingly inhospitable world
The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) estimates that, of some 100 crop species that provide 90% of the world's food, 71 species are pollinated by bees.
In Europe alone, 84% of 264 crop species depend on pollination mediated by animals, and 4,000 plant varieties exist thanks to pollination carried out by bees. Almost nothing!
Another important issue that is pointed out in this recent study from the University of Michigan. The ratio of wild bees to sex was found to become much more male in urban areas.
Female and male bees of the same species often pollinate different species of plants. As a result, a decrease in female bees has the potential to limit pollination services for part of a given plant community.
Without cutting that, the bees' reproduction rates and their ability to support future generations of pollinating bees are affected.
More people in cities means more houses and a greater burden on the food supply and therefore the need for more agriculture. The other side of the coin is that bees and other pollinating insects are progressively being driven out of their natural homes. Rural areas are declining in direct response to the spread of concrete. And, to the loss of habitat, are added the threats of insecticides and global warming.
Limiting spaces in cities that favor their pollinating activity helps us all. Like planting flowers that are friendlier to bees or taking a little more care when we decide to clear a garden.
The ultimate goal is to incorporate the spirit of beekeeping into the very fabric of urban planning (See article on modular hives to observe bees inside the home), to make the spaces in which human beings live as welcoming. and nutritious possible for our little neighbors. In this way, cities will become greener, more spacious, more social, friendlier and, of course, more alive.
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