Power of Pollinators at Autumn Malvern Show
The Three Counties Showground will be buzzing this year with a brand new feature at the Malvern Autumn Show – Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th September 2017. The Power of Pollinators will take visitors on an investigative journey looking at bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other important pollinators and how they can be supported in gardens and the wild.
The Autumn Show is the last of the major Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Shows of the season championing gardening, growing and gathering, rural life and our country’s quirky character!
Head of Show, Diana Walton points out that they decided to create the new exhibit at the Show because as a harvest show they depend on pollinators for the produce that is celebrated and showcased: “More and more we are hearing startling statistics about the plight of pollinators and how vital they are to our survival. We felt that it was time that we explored the bigger picture and we are aiming to both educate and inspire show goers to take any small action that could help future proof our resources,” she said.
Dr Richard Comont, Science Manager of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Worcester said of the feature: “We are really pleased to be involved with this new exhibit at the Malvern Autumn Show. Protecting our pollinators is a vita, topical issue and the bumblebees and other wildlife that play a role in pollination need understanding and support from a wider audience.”
Dr Comont points out that many plants rely on insects to complete their reproductive cycle so without bees, hoverflies and other insects we would not have strawberries, apples or even chocolate!
Visitors to The Power of Pollinators will have the opportunity to get hands-on with experiments and get a glimpse of the microscopic world that the insects inhabit. The Show welcomes Worcestershire Honey Show and experts from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and the University of Worcester, all of whom will be on hand to answer questions and share how the public can help.
Details of the RHS Malvern Autumn Show can be found at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/malvern-autumn-show
Photographs: Credit ©Dr Richard Comont
