Commuters in the Dutch city of Utrecht may notice a new green tinge to their neighborhood bus stop. That’s because local authorities have added 316 green-roofed, bee-friendly bus stops to public transportation routes. More than 50% of the Netherlands’ 358 bee species are endangered, and the green roofs provide a safe, consistent habitat for the critically important pollinators. For humans, bamboo benches and LED lighting contribute to the eco-conscious construction. The national bee consensus since the installation of the bus stops has shown a steady increase in the number of bees. The honeybee was the most spotted bee, with more than 55,000 observations, while the bumblebee came in second with 13,000, and the red mason bee landed in third with 12,800 records. The native wild bee population in the Netherlands has been in decline since the 1940s, a trend that seems to stem predominantly from the agricultural areas of the country. Pressure put on farmers to increase their output means that farmlands no longer have space for nature. Dutch officials are hoping that the bee bus stops will help to increase the bee population over the long haul.
