A DAY of fun activities at a National Trust site has been set up  to raise awareness of a crucial environmental issue.

Llangollen Buzz family fun day will take place at Plas Newydd in Llangollen on May 27 between 11am and 4pm.

Visitors will be able to celebrate all things bee-friendly by helping Chester Zoo discover bumblebees, joining the Wildlife Trust in their outdoor lab, or by following the Busy Bee Trail. 

There will be honey-tasting, face-painting, and a prize for the best pollinator fancy dress.

The event is part of a bid for Llangollen to become a ‘Bee Friendly Town’ in a new national accreditation scheme launched by the Welsh Government and Friends of the Earth Cymru.  

Launching the new scheme, Lesley Griffiths, cabinet secretary for environment and rural affairs, said: “While the focus of the campaign is very much on encouraging people to get involved in an enjoyable way there is a serious message too. 

”Pollinators are in decline and this risks our capacity to produce food, timber and fibre.”

Group co-ordinator Sarah Slater said: “We’re really hoping lots of people will join us at Plas Newydd for an exciting day out.

“We’ll have lots of activities and stalls for adults and children of all ages, and people can learn about fun ways to protect pollinators in their local areas.

“Hopefully, with the support of local people, Llangollen can become a Bee Friendly Town.”

Bee numbers are  declining due to habitat loss, exposure to harmful pesticides, and climate change. 

Bees pollinate fruit and vegetables – without them Friends of the Earth estimates that it would cost farmers at least £1.8 billion a year to hand pollinate crops.  

The scheme hopes to raise awareness and improve conditions for pollinators through providing pollinator-friendly food sources, places for insect pollinators to live, decreasing the use of harmful chemicals, and involving the whole community in having fun helping pollinators.  

To find out more about Friends of the Earth and bees, visit www.foe.co.uk/page/bee-cause.