Wagner is committed to protecting the environment and climate. For us, this also includes the creation of new, near-natural habitats that offer great ecological diversity – and thus, for example, an abundant food supply for insects and other small creatures.
Our project “WOODY LOVES BEES” starts precisely here: It raises awareness for the increasing disappearance and extinction of honeybees, wild bees, bumblebees and butterflies in particular. The aim of the project is to motivate as many people as possible to create new livelihoods for endangered species in a simple way that is easy for everyone to implement. Because: We all need bees!
Step 1: Buy a plant trolley
When you buy a WAGNER plant trolley in a stationary specialist/garden centre or online, you will receive a FREE seed bag from spring 2022. In order to protect the environment and bees, we have come up with something very special: As Europe’s leading manufacturer of plant trolleys, we have launched the “WOODY LOVES BEES” campaign and equipped 250,000 plant trolleys with a sachet full of species-rich organic seed.
Step 2: Sow the flower meadow
Now it’s your turn and you can support alternatively: Our seed bag contains seeds for 5 m² each of colourful, bee-friendly flower diversity. Sow the seeds directly in the garden, in a box on the balcony or terrace, and grow them up lovingly. Your contribution: A small, precious habitat for bees, bumblebees & co. If everyone joins in, together we will create a flower meadow of up to 1,250,000 m², the equivalent of about 175 football fields!
WAGNER bee pasture
Since spring 2021, our colourful “WOODY LOVES BEES” bee pasture has been growing on an area of approx. 10,000 m² on the WAGNER campus. It consists of a richly flowering and species-rich flower meadow with a rich food supply for honeybees, wild bees, bumblebees, butterflies and numerous other endangered small animals. Five beehives have been set up at the edge of the flower meadow, each of which is home to 60,000 honeybees, i.e. about 300,000 bees. For wild bees and many other insect species, a large “insect hotel” at the edge of the flower meadow provides shelter, nursery and winter quarters. Moreover, for lizards we have created a new habitat of quarry stones, sandstones, deadwood and small mounds for egg laying.
“GREENHOME” for future
Woody is looking for bee savers!
- Woody’s project motto: “Join in – it’s easy!” Because everyone can make a valuable contribution and give something back to nature and wildlife.
- Woody’s project goal: to inspire as many people as possible for the important topic of “ecological diversity” and to motivate them to create new livelihoods for endangered small animal species in a simple way that is easy for everyone to implement. For bees, many other insects and small creatures, their environment is becoming increasingly hostile.
- Why is this? The reasons include species-poor, “tidy” gardens, agricultural monocultures, massive increases in land sealing and the permanent use of pesticides such as glyphosate, which is a major contributor to species extinction.
- Why do we need bees? Bees are not only important and indispensable helpers for humans in their work as honey producers and food providers, but also as “pollinators”.
Facts and figures (Source: German Beekeepers’ Association)
Facts and figures (Source: German Beekeepers’ Association)
- Around 80% of all native flowering plants depend on pollination by various insects, of which the honey bee plays a significant role.
- The economic benefit of insect pollination exceeds the value of honey production by a factor of 10 to 15. It corresponds to a value of around 2 billion euros annually in Germany and 70 billion US dollars worldwide.
- Hard to believe, but true: this makes bees one of the three most important farm animals (!) along with cattle and pigs.
- Fruit and vegetables also benefit from pollination, because yields and quality characteristics such as weight, shape, sugar-acid content, germinating power, fertility and storability are significantly increased.
Woody says: We all need bees – together we preserve valuable habitat. Thank you for your commitment!
Of course, we can’t do all this alone. Luckily for us, we have found three great cooperation partners who support us in the preparations and implementation for our ambitious project.
The farmers
We would like to thank the farmers Theo and Sigmund Heitz for their competent and expert advice and their willingness to take over the entire management of the huge WAGNER bee pasture. Without their management, there would be no bee pasture!
The bee boss
A big thank you also goes to beekeeper Timo Ostermann, who inspired us with his profound knowledge and passion for beekeeping and his love for his girls. He is the boss of the hives and has already brought in our first honey harvest. Super delicious!
The hotel builders
A big thank you also to Silvia Lauf, Michael Kempf and Andreas Hummel from the adventure playground Lahr. They supported us in word and deed with the construction of the insect hotel. That’s great, because they are all professionals and know their job! We are very happy about our self-made “grand hotel”, in which not only wild bees, but also butterflies, hedgehogs and many other small animals have found shelter, nursery and winter quarters!