It is frightening to think that bees, those little creatures that are so important to our lives, could be in grave danger. SOFII’s thanks go to Gemma Sherrington for featuring this great campaign from Friends of the Earth at Once Upon I Wish I’d Thought of That. Here you will learn about their two-fold ask and how they are continuing to involve and move donors to action to save Britain’s bees.

Creator / originator

Friends of the Earth.

Summary / objectives

Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign aims to make 2013 the year of the bee.

The ask from Friends of the Earth is two-fold. Firstly, visitors to the website are asked to sign a petition asking David Cameron for a ‘bee action’ plan to save British bees. Secondly, a fundraising ask requests that supporters donate £15 to help save bees. In return, donors receive a ‘bee saver’ pack, which includes wildflower seeds, a guide to identifying and saving bees and a garden planner. Friends of the Earth then plants a wildflower on an interactive bee savers map to mark your donation and you can see who else has donated as well as events in your area. Those wanting to get more involved can create a bee world – a haven of wildflowers that will help attract bees – in their local area. Friends of the Earth has also been asking politicians, scientists, organisations and businesses to sign a statement expressing their support for the bee action 

Background

Bees numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years, affected by disease, chemicals and habitat loss. Since 1900, the UK has lost 20 species of bee. A further 35 bee species are considered to be under threat of extinction. Friends of the Earth argues that it's not too late to save our bees but we have to act now.

Special characteristics

Friends of the Earth have created a branded microsite, with three tabs, which makes the site easy to use and shows a clear ask. The main page shows the volume of people across the UK who have already donated, providing a great introduction to the asks, as well as encouragement to complete them. The graphics and branding are vibrant, summery, and connect well with the bee cause, with links back to the main Friends of the Earth website.

Results

So far, over 70,000 people have signed the petition to David Cameron.

Merits

The campaign perfectly integrates fundraising and genuine participation (through the bee saver kit), as well as offering both online and offline benefits to donors.

SOFII’s Once Upon I Wish I’d Thought Of That 2013 – Gemma Sherrington presents FOE.