Habitat loss, toxins and climate change are just a few of the threats bees face. More and more people in Germany are planting native wild flowers to counteract these dangers. And now there are gumball machines that offer wild flower seeds. Photo: dpa
You can spot the repurposed gumball machines from a fair distance away, now that they are painted bright yellow and covered in pictures of bees.
The heyday of Germany's gumball machines is long gone, but many buildings still have the bright red boxes mounted on their walls.
Some have been overhauled. Rather than bright balls of bubble gum, they now contain capsules of seeds to grow wild flowers that will help bees. Each costs US$0.50 (RM2.30).
The bee feeders, as they are known, are spreading through the nation as concern grows about the health of bees, under threat from a slew of factors including climate change, habitat loss and pathogens.
"This is such a great project," says biologist Ragna Neumann-Franz, welcoming the fact that three new yellow bee feeders have been created in the town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, in western Germany.
The wild flower seeds are from native plants that will boost the bees' chances of survival, says Neumann-Franz, who works for a local initiative to support bees.
The project is particularly important to many in the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler region which was struck by deadly flooding last summer, causing extensive destruction.
Neumann-Franz wants to see reconstruction efforts that improve on the situation compared to before. "That means hand-in-hand with nature."
The bright yellow gumball machines in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler are located at a primary school, on a market square and in a residential area.
Neumann-Franz filled them with the seed capsules that are recyclable and can be discarded in a box next to the vending machine so they can later be refilled.
The bee-friendly project has fast won fans, with repurposed gumball machines now registered at 220 locations throughout Germany.
Sebastian Everding launched the project in 2019 and his ambitions initially only extended to one vending machine in the western city of Dortmund, he says.
That single gumball machine is still there, and is still very popular, he adds.
Initially, he wasn't open to the idea of taking orders from other places, never dreaming the project would flourish as it has.
He changed his mind, Everding says, and now is grappling with a level of demand he can barely keep up with.
He has some 80 orders outstanding, with people waiting for their re-jigged machines "for months".
The tricky part is getting hold of the old gumball machines, with fewer and fewer available. At the same time, the prices for the vintage vending machines have doubled in some cases over the past two years.
Everding says if anyone has an old gumball machine to hand, he would be happy to hear from them.
Meanwhile he has delivered around 100 or so vending machines that have not yet been put up, says Everding, adding that each one needs a volunteer who will regularly refill the unit and take care of it.
Everding also says the project should go hand-in-hand with educational efforts, especially at daycare centres and primary schools.
Each bee vending machine is unique, he says. They can already be found at allotment gardens, companies, zoos and even at several undertakers. After one funeral home in Hamburg started, around seven more followed suit, he says.
Most of the machines are in the states of North Rhine Westphalia, Hesse, Saarland and the Rhine-Main area but there are also some in northern, eastern and southern Germany, Everding says.
The Saarland environment ministry was so impressed with the project, it even purchased 30 machines, a ministry spokesperson says.
The yellow vending machines were then made available to interested associations and initiatives throughout the state, while other towns, companies and associations bought and installed their own.
"The feedback has always been very positive so far," according to the spokesperson.
The seed mixtures are provided by a bee conservation project. When they are planted, they create "a colourful wild flower mix" that is a food source for wild bees and honey bees, says Neumann-Franz.
The project is a great way for people to help create a more sustainable environment while youngsters can learn about biodiversity through the gumball project, according to the biologist.
These capsules can plant a seed, inspiring people to take further steps to help the environment, she says. – dpa/Birgit Reichert
