AHEAD of World Bee Day tomorrow Yorkshire Water and Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) have announced the improvement of habitats for bees and pollinators in Keighley, Steeton and Lothersdale.

As part of their Bee Together project, the partnership has delivered enhanced habitats, nesting sites and increased community engagement to help reverse the decline of wild pollinators.

Community meadows in Steeton, Lothersdale and Keighley have been improved and 13 new wildlife patches have been created.

They are designed to act as pathways to link wildlife areas together and provide wildflowers for bees and other pollinators.

Nest sites have also been created at Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds – providing nesting areas for cavity-nesting bees and other mini-beasts.

Pollinator surveys to identify species present at Yorkshire Water’s Fewston Reservoir have taken place and work is underway to reduce mowing at Grimwith and re-seed areas of the site to improve habitat for pollinators.

As well as boosting wildflower sites the project has focused on education, providing training on how to make mini meadows to support bees, how to identify different species of bees and how to encourage pollinators and bees in gardens.

Yasmina Gallagher, from Yorkshire Water, said: “Our primary role of managing water catchment naturally leads to work to improve biodiversity and boost conservation efforts.”