In September 2019 at Victory Wood in Kent, Outdoor Studios artists Sara Trillo and Amanda Thesiger offered a range of activities inspired by the Shrill Carder Bee. The activities reflected aspects of the Shrill Carder Bee; its appearance, nest-making and foraged plants, and its unique high-pitched sound.
Shrill Carder Bee
The Shrill Carder Bee is probably England’s rarest species of bumblebee. Fluffy, with black and straw-coloured stripes and a warm orange tail, this species was once found throughout southern Britain. However, areas that were once filled with wildflowers, on which these bees depend, have been lost to changing land management and expanding development. Only tiny clusters of the bee’s former population remain. Three of these are in South Wales, and two are in England. The English sites, Somerset and the Essex/Kent border, are where Back from the Brink has been working to understand and safeguard this species. Why is it ‘shrill’? The Shrill Carder Bee buzzes at a higher pitch than the much more frequent and widespread Common Carder Bee.



Ancients of the Future Event
'CELEBRATING ANCIENT TREES – BANNER MAKING AND PARADE'

Barberry Carpet Moth Event
'COME-A-WASSAILING '

Black-tailed Godwit Event
'TO FLY ADVENTUROUS'

Gems in the Dunes Event
'WALKING ART WORKSHOPS'

Gems in the Dunes Event
'BUCKTHORN BASH WORKSHOP '

Gems in the Dunes Event
'OUTDOOR PORCELAIN WORKSHOP'

Gems in the Dunes Event
'OUTDOOR CYANOTYPE WORKSHOP'

Colour in the Margins Event
'DRAWING FROM NATURE '

Colour in the Margins Event
'DISCOVER, CREATE, VALUE '

















All project artwork
Exploring Shrill Carder Bee through community artworks.
The Art of saving species
Browse all artworks.