Wildflower-rich hay meadows are one of the top sources of food for bumblebees, according to early analysis of a decade's worth of BeeWalk data.

BeeWalks are carried out by volunteers as part of a project by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, to restore wildflower habitats for bumblebees and fellow pollinators.

An animated film has been released to mark 10 years of BeeWalks, highlighting the importance of hay meadows as a food source for bumblebees.

BeeWalk was established by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust as a national citizen science scheme.

The collected data helps in understanding the current state of Britain's bumblebees.

It also plays a role in making informed decisions on helping bumblebees to survive and thrive.

In the past ten years, volunteers have covered 485 kilometers across 24 sites in the Dales and Forest of Bowland, collecting bumblebee data.

A full report of findings, to be published later this year, will give details of the needs of pollinators and information about the wildflower species and habitats on which they thrive.

Project officer Carol Edmondson said: "To help stem bumblebee declines, restoring habitats is crucial.

"Data from our research points to wildflower-rich hay meadows as one of the best food sources for bumblebees and highlights the importance of our work to restore and expand these species-rich habitats."

A total of 21,663 bumblebees of 12 different species were recorded in total during the ten years of BeeWalks.

White and buff tailed bumblebees were the most commonly recorded, accounting for over 70% of records in some years.

The numbers of all other species have fluctuated over time, but white and buff tailed bumblebees are definitely increasing in number.

The top four flowers visited were red and white clover, yellow rattle, and common knapweed.

Maurice White, a BeeWalk volunteer for almost a decade, said: "I’ve learned a great deal about the range of bumblebee species we see in the Dales.

"They’re an indicator of the health of the environment.

"Where I do my counting is a really beautiful place and it’s a delight and a privilege to be even a tiny part of supporting and encouraging that."

The European Outdoor Conservation Association funded two years of the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust's BeeWalks, enabling the project to reach its ten-year milestone.