Saving bees by bike? We did it! Our mission: inspiration, connection and capacity-building.

The Challenge

Honey bees, bumblebees, butterflies, moths, and hoverflies – they all deserve our attention. 70 percent of the world’s 124 major crops rely on insect pollination. In Europe, the figure is as high as 84 percent.  This makes the results of a long-term study all the more worrying: the flying insect biomass has declined by 75 percent in the last 27 years! Pollinators suffer from industrial agriculture, invasive species, habitat loss, air pollution and climate change. Although biodiversity loss is always a topic in the media, public awareness of this problem is shockingly low.

The Solution

Bees are a symbol for all pollinators, because without them we’ll not only miss honey, but basic nutrition because they are important pollinators! This is why we believe beekeepers to be the perfect ampassadors for all pollinators. They have a broad knowledge and know the natural environment like the back of their hands. On the “BikeForBees” tour through Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, Nadine invited beekeepers, young people and locals to a dialogue about biodiversity, pollination and the role of humans in our ecosystem. Cycling allowed spontaneous encounters with locals and breathtaking views of landscapes, down to the smallest inhabitants – pollinators. Pollinators and biodiversity were highlighted via social media and on-site. We also promoted CO2-neutral mobility, and to inspire people to exercise and explore nature.

How it went

The bike tour started in Austria on June 20th, 2021. Throughout the four countries visited, Nadine Schuller gave 10 workshops on the road and learned so much! She biked for 27 days with an average distance of 48km, and 565m of altitude.

In total, the adventurer biked 1300km for the bees and climbed 15,240m of altitude during an average temperature of 30°Celsius in daytime. During the whole journey, Nynke supported her with reporting, social media and just being a great friend and listener!

After many fascinating planned and unplanned encounters, sore muscles, bumpy roads and breathtaking landscapes, Pollinator Ambassadors will keep sharing her fascination for pollinators. Many people were  inspired to become ambassadors for pollinators themselves, so that future generations can live in an intact ecosystem.