{"id":120,"date":"2017-07-27T09:18:21","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T08:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/scotlands-environment\/?p=120"},"modified":"2018-03-12T15:56:39","modified_gmt":"2018-03-12T15:56:39","slug":"boost-for-our-bees-and-butterflies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/rural-environment\/2017\/07\/27\/boost-for-our-bees-and-butterflies\/","title":{"rendered":"Boost for our bees and butterflies"},"content":{"rendered":"

To coincide with the launch of our Pollinator Strategy, Craig Macadam, Conservation Director of Buglife<\/a>, explains why we have to protect our pollinators.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Imagine a world without chocolate. A world without coffee, wildflowers, strawberries, tomatoes. One out of every three mouthfuls of our food depends on insect pollination. It is almost impossible to over-emphasise the importance of the service provided by pollinators.<\/p>\n

Bees, wasps, hoverflies, butterflies and moths are essential to healthy ecosystems, their hard work fertilises flowers, creating the seeds and fruits that feed us and other animals and blooms that provide colour in the Scottish countryside.<\/p>\n

Most plants rely on insects to pollinate their flowers and so complete their reproductive cycle \u2013 they cannot set seed without being pollinated. Without bees, hoverflies and other insects visiting flowers, there would be no apples, raspberries, blackcurrants, strawberries, pears, almonds, elderberries, cherries, blackberries\u2026 and very few flowers in our gardens and countryside.<\/p>\n\n\t\t