Metro Mayor Dan Norris got a bee's-eye view of the world when he took part in a “bee safari” at Yeo Valley’s Organic Gardens near Blagdon.

Safari leader Jean Vernon (aka ‘Jeanie Bee’), an award-winning writer, was on hand to introduce the Mayor to some of the fabulous bumblebees and solitary bees in the six-and-a-half-acre organic garden.

Since it was built more than 18 years ago, the flower-rich space chock-a-block with colour has become home to pollinating idols from ground-nesting mining bees, forked-tailed flower bees and wool carder bees to the fabulous and charismatic buff-tailed, white-tailed and carder bumblebees.

The visit by the pollinator-pal Mayor was to promote the West of England “Bee Bold awards”. The awards showcase the very best pollinator friendly local organisations in the West of England. Applications are open until 9 September.

The Blagdon bee safari is the first of its kind in the West of England, teaching local ‘bee-hunters’ about the history and ingenious life cycles of Britain’s hardest workers. Bees pollinate a third of the food we eat so are vital to our survival. The Mayor also heard about the flowers people can plant in their gardens to support the region's food heroes.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who has pledged to make the West of England the bee and pollinator capital of the UK, said:

“There are so many reasons to appreciate bees. After all we couldn’t survive without them. Support for these essential pollinators feeling the sting of habitat loss, pesticide use and the climate emergency is a huge priority. I was really impressed with what I saw at the garden. I’m also encouraging even more ‘bee buddies’ to tell local people what they are doing to help bees by entering the West of England Bee Bold Awards today”.