Under threat: Bumblebee populations are plummeting.
A scheme aimed at securing the future of the humble bumblebee has been named the UK's best environmental project.
The Stirling-based Bumblebee Conservation Trust won the accolade at the National Lottery Awards on Saturday evening in London.
In the last 70 years, two species of bumblebees have become extinct in the UK, with others in serious danger of following suit.
The trust won lottery funding when it was set up to raise awareness about the dangers of the declining population.
Dr Ben Darvill, the trust's development manager, said: "It's absolutely brilliant to have won. It's really wonderful to have recognition of the work that we've done, but more than anything else, it's nice to raise awareness of the importance of bumblebees and what people themselves can do to help them. They are so crucial - their pollination gives us the variety on our dinner plates and the colour in our countryside. We need people to help them now."
The trust works with the public, farmers and land managers to prevent further decline and look after bumblebee populations for future generations.
It is currently focusing on maintaining habitats that are already "friendly" to bumblebees, including the Scottish islands of Coll and Tiree, the Western Isles, Orkney and the north coast of the Highlands.
One of the organisation's trustees, Professor Dave Goulson, added: "We started the Bumblebee Conservation Trust because bumblebees are disappearing and they pollinate our crops and our wildflowers. So we're trying to stop them disappearing and hopefully ensure they have a happy future. We were really, really chuffed to win. I don't think we expected it at all - who'd have thought bumblebees would win a thing like this? We're over the moon."
Jessica Cain, spokeswoman for the awards, said: "There are thousands of people out there who are making a difference every day with lottery funding. What we want to do is showcase a handful of the people who are doing fantastic work."
