When people think of honeybees, they often picture a tidy row of white hives sitting on the edge of a manicured garden or a sweeping field of agricultural oilseed rape. But if you look back through history—as I have over my lifetime of more than twenty years in apiculture—you remember a fundamental truth: the forest is the honeybee’s true, ancestral home. They are, by their very nature, tree dwellers. A single tree of certain species in full canopy can provide an abundance of pollen and nectar that equates to an entire acre of pastureland.
We were absolutely delighted to share this passion in a featured piece for the Royal Forestry Society, exploring why encouraging bees back into our British woodlands is one of the most effective ways to restore ecological balance to our countryside.
Over 80 Years of Collective Passion
Buckley’s Bees was born from a lifetime of hands-on experience and an evidence-based belief in the extraordinary value of the honeybee and the good they do in the world. Founded as a father-and-daughter team alongside my father David, our roots run deep into the history of British beekeeping. As the eldest surviving member of the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders’ Association (BIBBA), David’s focus has always been on looking after the welfare of the bees themselves, working with nature rather than trying to force it.
Through our BEEcause campaign, we are incredibly proud to be introducing sustainable beekeeping to entirely new places and younger generations. We work alongside schools, local communities and forward-thinking businesses to elevate the profile of all pollinators, helping people better understand how to protect and enhance the delicate environments around them.
Alongside this education, Buckley’s Bees prides itself on its dedicated bee breeding programme. We focus entirely on the sustainable propagation of local bees to reverse the decline of the UK native honeybee. By breeding for desirable native traits like docility and hygienic behaviour, we raise incredibly calm, resilient colonies. In fact, because of their gentle nature, I rarely ever wear gloves when handling our bees—they are a absolute joy to work with.
Our Core Aims
- Sustainably reverse the decline of the native honeybee population in the UK.
- Raise the profile and importance of the honeybee within the wider ecosystem.
- Enhance the viability and success of natural pollination and other wild pollinators.
- Holistically maximise and balance the environment, habitat and health of the bees.
- Create engagement and green employment opportunities.
- Educate people and encourage future generations of traditional beekeepers.
The Symbiosis of the Forest
As registered members of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) and BIBBA, our work supports a number of scientific studies and projects focused on the health and wellbeing of bees. This research consistently shows that woodlands act as a massive, rich larder for pollinators, offering a diverse seasonal diet of nectar, pollen and honeydew.
But this relationship is a two-way street. Bees are profoundly beneficial to the health of a forest:
- Generational Growth: Their quiet work pollinating trees and wild flora results in the seeds and fruit needed for these plant species to reproduce and thrive.
- Supporting the Wider Ecosystem: Healthy seed and fruit production creates essential food and habitats for a vast web of wildlife, including native mammals, birds, insects and bats. There is a whole ecosystem that relies on their pollination!
We manage these hives on behalf of businesses nationwide who have opted in to support the BEEcause campaign. Our ultimate aim is environmental sustainability and ensuring a perfect ecological balance is always present, meaning we never overcrowd an area or push out local wild pollinators.
What to Plant: Creating a Woodland Haven
To truly encourage pollinators back into our woods, we must look at the landscape holistically. A rich canopy and a diverse understory make all the difference. Key forest trees and plants that offer maximum benefit include:
- Deciduous Trees: Chestnut, lime, oak, hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, sycamore, acacia and various native willows.
- Wild Fruit: Most fruit trees—such as apple, pear, cherry, plum and damson—alongside woodland ground cover like wild strawberries and raspberries.
The numbers speak for themselves: just three acres of wildflower patches nestled within a forest can hold nearly nine million flowers. That is enough to sustain over half a million pollinators every single day.
Simple Actions, Massive Scale
Our motivation has never been profit; it is a genuine, lifelong desire to safeguard the future of the British countryside. If everyone – from large landowners and forestry businesses to residential homeowners – makes a small change, the collective impact on our pollinator populations will be monumental.
We encourage businesses and individuals alike to think twice before cutting down mature trees or clearing away hedges and bushes. Instead, let’s leave space for nature to manage itself, keep our woodlands as wild and diverse as possible and welcome the incredible life that returns when we do.
Partner With Us to Restore Our Woodlands
Are you a landowner, forestry manager, or business looking to host hives and boost biodiversity on your land? Hosting managed Buckley’s Bees hives is a practical, scientifically backed way to support natural pollination, fund vital pollinator research and breathe life back into local ecosystems.
Get in touch with our team today to find out how we can work together to protect the UK’s native honeybees.