Winnie the Pooh is back to save the Honey Bees

I’m sure a lot of people have Winnie the Pooh mingled in with their childhood memories. So many lovely stories, quotes and programmes come from Winnie the Pooh. I have a little Pooh Bear, who has stayed with me since I was born (though my sister rudely tried to claim him as hers, more than once). I also used to have a postcard above my desk, with an Eeyore quote, which was obviously the most inspiring quote to get me through my exams; “This writing business; pencils and what-not. Over-rated if you ask me.”

There hasn’t been a new Winnie the Pooh story since 1927, but Egmont Publishing has teamed up with the British Beekeepers Association to create a brand new story all about honey bees, or more precisely, the lack of them.

Last winter alone honey bee colonies declined by 14.5%, which is an alarming rate. In the new Pooh bear story, the bees in One Hundred Acre Wood have disappeared, leaving Winnie the Pooh with very little honey …

‘Hallo, everyone,’ said Christopher Robin. ‘Are you waiting for something?’

‘We’re looking for the honey bees,’ said Pooh.

‘But they seem to have gone,’ said Piglet.

‘I saw one yesterday,’ added Eeyore.

‘But if there aren’t lots of bees then there won’t be any honey,’ Pooh finished.

It’s a lovely way to raise awareness of the declining bee population and its effects, but also what we can do about it. After the story there is a guide explaining how we can all help the honey bees by doing simple things like planting window boxes, and vegetables etc. It works too. We planted wildflowers, herbs and vegetables in our garden a few years ago, and now it’s swarming with little honey bees!

Read the story, and see the guide on the little things you can do to help here. Save the bees!