Project lead: Philipp Heller
Given the growing awareness of both the importance and the threatened state of our most important pollinators — the bees — the Canton of Zurich drew up a cantonal bee strategy in 2019. Its central demand was that a cantonal bee office be established: a point of contact for all matters concerning bee conservation, a hub for projects, and a body to initiate and coordinate suitable measures.
Photo: The moss carder bee (Bombus muscorum) survives in Switzerland only in extensive lowland fens and is threatened with extinction. A considerable share of the remaining habitat lies in the Canton of Zurich, which therefore carries great national responsibility for preserving this species. (Photo: © André Rey).
The cantonal bee strategy identified a particular need for action on wild bees. Partly for this reason, the three-year mandate was awarded to our association in spring 2021. Our former committee member Philipp Heller took on the leadership of the Zurich Bee Office and is supported in this by Kiki Anrika Velychko.
The Zurich Bee Office pursues three main aims:
• Providing information
• Initiating, intensifying and improving conservation measures
• Building networks and creating platforms
More detailed information is available directly on the website of the newly created Bee Office of the Canton of Zurich. (in German)