Help the Humble Bumble

Ecotopia is on a quest to help the humble bumble bee!

Products available to assist the bumblebee.

Bumblebee Nester
Ceramic Bee Nester
Pollinating Bee Log

Bumblebees are among the most endearing and familiar of our insects. The sight and sound of bees droning methodically from flower to flower is a quintessential part of a summer’s day. Sadly, changes to the farmed countryside have not been kind to our bumblebees. The number of species found in most of lowland Britain has halved since 1950. Three species have gone nationally extinct and several more may follow in the near future unless we act quickly. The reason that bumblebees have declined in the countryside is simple. Bees feed exclusively on pollen and nectar, and there are far fewer flowers in the countryside than there once were. Hedges have been grubbed up and marshes drained. In particular, unimproved grasslands which are rich in wildflowers (haymeadows and chalk downland) have been almost entirely swept away, replaced by silage and cereal fields.
Bees in deline:
• Britain & Ireland have 25 native species of bumblebee
• 3 species have already become nationally extinct
• 5 are now designated UK Biodiversity Action Plan species, in recognition of their precarious situation with 2 more scheduled for inclusion.
• In total 15 have undergone major range contractions
• Several species face extinction unless action is taken.
Bumblebees are fascinating and beautiful creatures that deserve conserving in their own right. However, there are also pressing ecological and economic reasons to halt their declines.
Bumblebees are major pollinators of a majority of our flora. If bumblebees continue to disappear these plants will set less seed, potentially resulting in gradual but sweeping changes to the countryside. It may ultimately become dominated by an entirely different suite of plants that do not require bumblebee pollination. Clovers, vetches, and many rare plants may disappear. Indeed, there is evidence that this process is already underway. These changes will have catastrophic knock-on effects for other wildlife dependent on these plants. As such, it is often argued that bumblebees are keystone species, and that they are a conservation priority.
Bumblebees are also of commercial importance, being vital to the agricultural industry. Many arable and horticultural crops depend on bumblebees for pollination to varying degrees. Some, like oilseed rape, can set adequate seed without bumblebees provided there are sufficient honeybees, but others, such as broad, field and runner beans and raspberries are heavily dependent on bumblebees. Without them there would be little or no crop to harvest. There is already evidence that in some regions where fields are large and there are few hedgerows (in which bumblebee queens forage in spring and build their nests) crop yields are depressed due to a shortage of bumblebees.

Recycled cardboard paint tray

Eco Recycled Cardboard Paint Tray
Here at Ecotopia we are committed to providing practical and ingenious solutions to everyday ‘eco’ dilemmas! We realise that DIY is not necessarily the funkiest or most interesting topic but when a UK based company approached us with a brand new product that solved one of the DIY dilemmas and they had spent 2 years in the shed developing it we couldn’t say no.

This great new product is simply a paint tray that is made from waste cardboard and paper. Is it reusable, biodegradable, compostable and compliments Ecotopia.co.uk’s large range of eco friendly paints and DIY materials.

Here are the facts:
· Environmentally friendly.
· Is made from recycled material, thus not using natural resources.
· No need to waste water with washing out, simply wipe out any left over/excess paint and leave to dry for reuse.
· Saves time as no need to wash out, particularly useful if in location with limited or no access to water.
· Fewer rolls are required to pick up an equivalent amount of paint, thus saving time.
· Gap in end leg for unwanted contaminants or for other tools to rest.
· Due to a rougher base, does not slide around the floor as much as a plastic tray.
· No waste in the manufacturing process.
· Sustainable production process
· Sold unpackaged
Other Eco DIY Products
http://www.ecotopia.co.uk/product/146/eco-paint.htm

For print images and further information contact steve@ecotopia.co.uk

Give bees a chance!

Help fight the decline in the bee population with a range of habitats and homes from ecotopia.co.uk

While Albert Einstein did not say "if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left” there is a lot of truth in this comment. Here are Ecotopia we are seriously worried are the decline in the bee population and encouraging people this Christmas to consider that a bee is not just for summer, they are needed for life - Life of the ecosystem.We are in serious trouble without our friends. Not only are they the only insects that produce food for humans in the form of honey, they pollinate more than 100 crops as well as 90 percent of all flowering plants. We couldn’t begin to duplicate the work accomplished by bees - every bee makes 10 or more flights per day and each flight lasts more than one hour, visiting between 50 to 100 flowers.

So what can we do to help the bee population survive the current climate? It isn't difficult to make your yard, garden or even patio space a haven for beneficial bees. You'll be helping these important insects, as well as bringing more nature to your backdoor.We are now doing some great deals on bee habitats to encourage customers to support these beautiful creatures. Try our wooden Bumblebee Nester at £19.99 or the ceramic nester at £16.59. These nesters are ideal to attract bees to your garden. Check out our other bee homes like the solitary beehive at £19.53, the insect theatre at £29.31 or pollinating bee log at £14.67.And don’t forget we have a whole host of Burt’s Bees’ Product for Bee lovers!

Special Belfrey Bat Box Promo

For the month of November we are doing a special promotion on our belfrey bat box (While stocks last).

Great as a Christmas present or gift for a wildlife lover or gardener.

Was £14.95 now £7.95

http://www.ecotopia.co.uk/product/41/bb0081/belfry-bat-box.html

Be safe this winter with our new jackets

One Car Less

Our adult and kids jackets are available in five fluorescent colours -pink, yellow, green, red and orange. These jackets are fluorescent for day and near dusk, and reflective for night. They come with the stencil design with just "1 less car".

They have an internal pocket. They are machine washable. They are 100% polyester. They have Velcro front fastening and a hanging hook on the collar.

They come with a wide EN1150 quality encapsulated colour, microprismatic reflective tape strip. We’ve chosen a size which seems to fit most people.

£14.95 - £19.95

And for every jacket sold we give 50p to the Waltham Forest Bike Recycle Centre. They rescue and repair old bikes, so they go back into the community.

Green Xmas

Green Christmas

Yes it is nearly November and our thoughts turn our favourite time of the year - Christmas! Organise the perfect green Christmas this year and save money with our green guide, reduce your carbon footprint and have a more eco friendly and sustainable holiday season.

1. Serve local, healthy and seasonal December foods at your events and xmas parties. Choose vegetables that are in season and do not have to be flown in from abroad. Broccoli, cabbage and onions can all be grown without the aid of harsh chemicals so you can spend your organic pounds elsewhere. Buy loose vegetables rather than packaged from a farmers market. Click here for all foods that are in season.*** Ecotopia.co.uk have a great selection of Xmas fayre , food staples and world foods .

2. Decorating your house can be one of the most enjoyable parts of Xmas. Go for ethically made and traded decorations . Kids really enjoy making their own green decorations out of old scraps of material and leftovers. Try popcorn garlands – which are really fun and cheap to make and scour a woodland floor for fallen pinecones and twigs that are great for decorations!

3. E-mail party invites and Christmas cards rather than post them. There are loads of free Xmas themed party invite e-cards around or alternatively make your own out of scrap and recycled products. If you really want to send cards, choose charity ones or check out these really funky recycled ones . After the big day, make sure your Christmas cards don't go to waste – take them to a Woodland Trust recycling point.

4. Christmas heating and lighting bills can be huge! Save cash and protect the environment by using energy saving devices such as standby busters and radiator boosters . Don’t forget to turn off the tree lights or better still try these solar powered ones.

5. Use recycled paper, gift bags or even colorful cloth to wrap the Christmas presents and instead of tape, use colorful ribbon to tie up the gifts.

6. Make a green statement this Xmas! Send a message to the manufacturers of consumer goods by shopping for & buying only natural, non toxic, eco friendly, organic presents this year.
7. Which makes a better tree? Artificial or a real tree? Simply real ones are as they are great for the environment and can be replanted after use. If replanting isn’t an option, most local councils run Christmas tree recycling schemes. Contact yours or go to http://www.letsrecycle.com. If you need to use an artificial one avoid those made in China or Tawian which have transport costs associated with them. They also can be made with nasty chemicals, metals and plastics which can emit into our homes. Adorn with fair trade and ethical traded decorations or again make your own. Ecotopia.co.uk has a selection of seasonal trees in stock which make great gifts.

8. How do we give children what they desire but without poisoning our planet? Take electronic toys for instance. There are 900 million batteries used each year in the UK alone and many are in toys. But only 2% of batteries are currently recycled - the rest end up in landfill sites and are poisoning our planet! So what do you do? Choose an eco toy . Green and eco-friendly toys shouldn’t cost the earth so choose from a great selection here that don’t require batteries. Alternatively go for rechargeable batteries which will save you pounds throughout the year.

9. Recycle your unwanted presents. Unfortunately everyone receives at least one unwanted gift at Christmas. Many recycle their unwanted presents to charities. Local hospitals and hospices are often very pleased to receive unwanted smellies to give to patients. Or you could try www.freecycle.org and swap them for other people's unwanted gifts.

10. Don’t go overboard - reduce, reuse and recycle!
*** December Food In Season
VEGETABLES: Artichoke (Jerusalem) Brussels sprouts Broccoli (purple sprouting) Beetroot Cabbage (red) Celeriac Celery Carrots Cauliflower Chicory Chard Celeriac Cardoons Cabbages Endive Garlic Kale Kohlrabi Lamb’s Lettuce Leeks Onions Parsnips Potatoes Pumpkin Rocket Shallots Spinach Swede Turnips Watercress
FRUIT & NUTS: Apples Chestnuts Pears Pomegranate Quince Rhubarb
MEAT, POULTRY & GAME: Goose Grouse Hare Mallard Partridge Pheasant Rabbit Snipe Squirrel (grey) Turkey Venison Woodcock FISH: Bream (black) Herring Mussels Oysters (native) Scallops Turbot
CHEESE: Stilton Wensleydale, blue List courtesy of http://www.naturalmatters.net/

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New products launch - believe you can range

gorgeous ethical goodies for xmas

"Believe You Can" designs fun, colourful and exclusive Fair Trade fashion and home accessories. Founder and designer Louise Birchmore feels "passionatley about Fair Trade and believes in creating modern and innovative products" "Believe You Can" products are all handmade, and wooden items are FSC certified. This wonderful ethical and Fair Trade range benefits the Fair Trade producers business and community through "trade not aid", but also offers products perfect for the design conscious and ethically aware.