FROM BUMBLEBEE CONSERVATION — ALL IN THE WILD NEED OUR HELP

view online Bumblebee Conservation Trust logo Side profile of bumblebee on purple flower with blurred background, dated January 2026 Hello 2026! Welcome to the first newsletter of 2026. January may feel quiet for bumblebees, but there's more happening than you think. We're back and buzzing to help you make a difference this year for the UK's bumblebees. Let's bee-gin! 🐝 Where do bumblebees go in winter? 🐝 Huge bumblebee looking for hibernation spot on earth and grass Most bumblebees don't make it through winter at all! As temperatures drop, the old colony dies back and only newly mated queens survive, tucking themselves away underground, in leaf litter or even compost heaps to hibernate. When spring arrives, those queens wake up to start brand-new colonies from scratch. Explore the bumblebee lifecycle 🐝 Membership offer ✨ Montage of bumblebee photo, free bumblebee toy and pack contents including leaflets Bee-lieve it or not, January is the perfect time to support bumblebees – and we’ve added a little extra thank you to make joining even sweeter! For a limited time only, when you sign up with a Family or Benefactor Membership, you’ll receive a FREE bumblebee soft toy worth £18 when you join* 🐝 When you become a member, you’re helping to create and restore wildflower meadows, research how climate change affects bumblebees, and support farmers to create bumblebee-friendly habitats. What’s not to love. Join today! (*While stocks last). Become a Benefactor or Family member 👉 Take action for bumblebees 📣 Placards raised with Houses of Parliament in background We have two new campaigning actions you can take right now to help protect bumblebees and their habitats. ✅ Sign the petition to ask the government to get peat out of gardens, once and for all. Extracting peat for use as compost destroys vital carbon-rich and nature-friendly habitats, releasing centuries of stored CO2 into the atmosphere. ✅ Add your name to a letter to Ed Miliband (Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero) before the government makes damaging changes to habitat regulations, putting wildlife under threat. You will find links to these actions below. Together, we can give bumblebees a voice and make a difference. Add your voice 🫵 Fuel the fun! Fundraise for impact 🙌 Three people with hands in air on top of a mountain with the Pollin8 graphic in black and white Take on a Pollin8 challenge and raise money for bumblebees in 2026 in a way that works for you! Run, walk, host a picnic, hold a plant sale or get creative! Every challenge helps protect the UK's bumblebees and the places they need to thrive. It's a bee-rilliant way to do something you enjoy. Find out more 👇🏽 Start your challenge❤️ Bumblebee in the spotlight 🔎 Bumblebee flying in to land on red flower with sparkle graphics in two places The Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) is one of the 'Big Eight' common and widespread bumblebees. Let's take a closer look. The Buff-tailed bumblebee Want to follow the Bumblebee Conservation Trust on social media? Click on the icons below to stay up-to-date. YouTube icon Did you know you can also follow the social media channels of our projects on X: @nikkigammans @BuzzingWales @BuzzingShrill @BuzzingScotland Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Registered Charity No: 1115634 / Scottish Charity No: SC042830. © 2026 Bumblebee Conservation Trust. All rights reserved. You are receiving this newsletter because you are already a member, subscribed via our website, an event or when becoming a volunteer. We hope you enjoy reading it! Registered address: International House, 109-111 Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8JA; Correspondence address: Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Beta Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling FK9 4NF Unsubscribe