Discover how we monitor MK’s bumblebee populations this World Bee Day
Published: 20/05/2026
BeeWalk is the national standardised bumblebee recording scheme run by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) across the UK, recording the abundance and distribution of bumblebee species data. This citizen science scheme was established in 2008 across the UK which involves monthly counts carried out by volunteers on established transect routes, approximately 1 mile long.
The Trust joined the scheme in 2019 and we have now recruited and trained 12 volunteers to species identification level delivered by BBCT. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is a science-led charity dedicated to monitoring and protecting bumblebee populations through habitat restoration, public engagement, and the standardisation of survey data to address species decline.
The aim of The Parks Trust’s monitoring programme is to understand the local population of bumblebee species in Milton Keynes and the management factors which influence this.
Our key objectives
- To document the current species richness and diversity of bumblebee species across a range of locations, that differ distinctly in their management, and habitat.
- To assess the impact of landscape management by monitoring bumblebee species populations across land we care for.
- To maintain and improve the available habitat resource for bumblebees.
- To understand how species richness and presence change throughout the year.
We have 5 key sites which we monitor across Milton Keynes. Since monitoring began in 2019, 13 species have been recorded out of the 24 found in the UK. However, this had decreased to only 11 species being identified in 2024, this decline was in line with the national average with the BBCT declaring the year as the worst year on record for British bumbles.
Image: Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) in quadrat
Site performance
Our findings show that Stonepit Field serves as a flagship for bumblebee diversity in Milton Keynes and represents the most species-rich site in Milton Keynes. With its calcareous grassland providing a uniquely high-quality habitat compared to the neutral soils of other sites. Long-term management, including over 25 years of wildflower seeding, has created exceptional floristic diversity that supports high pollinator activity. 13 species have been recorded here so far.
Campbell Park comes in second place with its ornamental gardens and wildflower meadow management providing abundant and diverse nectar sources to support healthy populations. The city centre park records notably high bumblebee counts for an urban park with the second highest number and species of bumblebees (9 recorded) counted on the BeeWalk survey.
Other sites we monitor include Elfield Park Nature Reserve, Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve and Broughton Brook.
The most common recorded bumblebee in Milton Keynes is the Red-tailed bumblebee since 2019, which suffered in 2024 with a drop in numbers. Last year the most recorded bumblebee across the sites was the White/buff tail complex which are notoriously difficult to identify in the field but are used as the typical image of a bumblebee.
Learn more about these precious pollinators, why they are under threat and how you can make a difference to local populations at home on our Bumblebee webpage.
Image: Southern cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus vestalis)
