Drenthe hopes that the insects can be part of a greening of the Province
The Province of Drenthe wants to be more bee and butterfly friendly, reports the Asser Courant. Residents that have a good idea for greening their local area can apply for a subsidy scheme from 1 January: a total of 20,000 euros is available for residents’ initiatives. The money can be spent, among other things, on converting a lawn into a wildflower and grass meadow, or for making ‘bee hotels’.
Farmland butterflies
The subsidy scheme is the result of the Boerenlandvlinders initiative and plan from June 2017. The Provincial Council stated that they were concerned about the decline of biodiversity in rural areas; especially butterflies, bees and other insects. Research shows that this is due to a lack of good habitat, despite Drenthe being one of the most rural provinces in the Netherlands. Together with the municipalities, water boards and green organisations, the province is working on measures to halt this decline.
Image: Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) foraging a flower of a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – Havré (Belgium). By Jean Paul GRANDMONT. License here.
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