Utrecht Bee-friendly Bus Stop
We have a bees' nest under one of our decks and we're pleased as can be. When we're sitting out with our morning coffee we watch them come up from between the planks and head off on their appointed pollinating rounds. If they were wasps or hornets we might feel compelled to do battle but these are bumblebees.
They are benign, although don't try to convince our cats, Merlin and Arthur, who we can tell feel harassed. Bumblebees are in serious decline, along with many other bee species in North America and it would be an agricultural disaster if bees disappeared. Humans use pesticides which kill them or stress their immune systems so thoroughly they can't survive. We are a rather stupid species, but not always.
According to the Guardian:
The roofs of hundreds of bus stops have been covered in plants as a gift to the honeybee, by a city in the Netherlands. Mainly made up of sedum plants, a total of 316 have been covered in greenery in Utrecht.
The shelters not only support the city’s biodiversity, such as honey bees and bumblebees, but they also help capture fine dust and store rainwater. The roofs are looked after by workers who drive around in electric vehicles, and the bus stops have all been fitted with energy-efficient LED lights and bamboo benches.
How hard can this bee? (sorry) Every day we can choose the strategies and solutions which will make God's good Earth a habitable place for all. Doesn't that sound both reasonable and faith-full?
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