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World Bee Day 20th May 2025
- Helen Charles
- Apr 28
- 3 min read
Have you ever wondered what would happen if bees disappeared from the planet? It’s a question I often ask children when I run my bee education programs - and thanks to animated classics like The Bee Movie, a lot of kids already know the answer: a world without bees would be in serious trouble!
But this simple question opens the door to a much deeper conversation about the incredible ecosystem services that bees - and many other pollinators - provide. It's the perfect springboard for nurturing a lifelong appreciation for the biodiversity buzzing all around us.
A Real Threat: Why Pollinators Need Our Help
While it’s fun to imagine bees wearing tiny sneakers and flying off on adventures with their human friends, the truth is a lot less cheerful. Pollinators face very real threats, and sadly, many of them come from human activities:
Clearing vital habitats
Overusing pesticides and chemicals
Pollution that harms delicate ecosystems
Climate change impacting seasons, flowering times, and habitats
Large-scale farming and monocultures that leave little room for wild pollinators
The ripple effects of losing our pollinators would be massive - not just for bees, but for all of us.
Why Bees Matter More Than You Think
Bees are critical to global food security. In fact, one in every three bites of food we eat relies on pollination by bees and other pollinators, including birds, butterflies, flies, moths, wasps, beetles and bats. No bees = fewer fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.... and a world much hungrier, less biodiverse and colourful.
World Bee Day is a chance for us to celebrate our pollinators, raise awareness, take action to protect them and have fun along the way!.
Why May 20th?
You might wonder: why celebrate World Bee Day in May when it’s autumn here in Australia and many of our local pollinators are nesting down for winter?
The date was chosen because in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s spring - the busiest time for bees and many other insect pollinators! May 20 also honours the birthday of Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern beekeeping from Slovenia.
World Bee Day is still a relatively new event. It was the brilliant idea of Slovenian beekeeper Boštjan Noč. In 2014, while driving to work, he was listening to a program about various "World Days" and had a lightbulb moment: "Why isn’t there a World Bee Day? Bees are so important to humanity!" Thanks to his efforts, the UN officially proclaimed World Bee Day on December 20, 2017 - a wonderful reminder of what one person's idea can achieve!
How You Can Help Pollinators This World Bee Day
The planet is at a crossroads. If we act now, there’s still hope. Every action, no matter how small, counts.
Here are some simple ways you can be a pollinator hero:
Learn and Share: You’re already doing this by reading this blog! Learning about pollinators is the first step towards protecting them. The more we know, the more motivated we are to take action.
Be Kind to Nature: Avoid using harmful chemicals and pesticides. Think about your personal impact on pollution and waste. Small changes at home can ripple out into big changes for the planet.
Plant for Pollinators: Whether you have a backyard, a balcony, or a windowsill, you can grow plants that bees and other pollinators love! Even better - plant locally native plants that support the wildlife in your area. If you don't have space at home, join a local community garden or ‘Friends of’ group - they’re wonderful places to learn, connect, and give back.
Support Wild Spaces: Pollinators need wilderness! From rewilding a small patch and leaving your garden a little 'messy', to supporting larger conservation efforts, protecting natural habitats is vital.
And remember - while World Bee Day is special, the bees need us every day of the year, not just once a year. So, try and make every day a little more bee-friendly!
Want to Celebrate World Bee Day with Us?
If you're keen to learn more, there are some wonderful events happening for World Bee Day — check them out here: www.worldbeeday.org.au
And if you'd love to bring a Friends with Honey Bee Education Program to your school, kinder, community group, or workplace, I’d love to chat!
Bee-Inspired Music: Friends with Honey Musical Kids Show
At Friends With Honey, we believe that learning should always be fun and engaging - and that’s exactly what inspired us to create the Friends With Honey Musical Kids Show Album!
After all, you can’t have a party without music!
This World Bee Day, why not crank up the tunes and and buzz along to our songs as you celebrate our amazing pollinators?
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