Nature enthusiasts have started planting a new wildflower meadow to attract more species of bees to the city.
Volunteers from Leicester Friends of the Earth and Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust were joined by Leicester East MP Keith Vaz and assistant city mayor Piara Singh Clair.
The meadow is just off the junction of Melton Road and Troon Way, in Rushey Mead.
Malcolm Hunter, spokesman for Leicester Friends of the Earth, said: "We depend on bees to pollinate many of our food crops, but bee populations are in steep decline. One contributing factor is undoubtedly the use of certain pesticides that our Government is trying to stop the European Union from banning, but another important factor is habitat loss.
"So we are delighted Leicester City Council and Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust have agreed to work with us in setting up a 'bee world' demonstration project in habitat restoration – to show the kind of thing that can be done to help halt this decline."
According to Friends of the Earth, in the 60 years since the Queen has been on the throne, 97 per cent of England's natural grasslands, which support bees, have been lost.
To halt the bee's decline, environmental campaigners are calling on the Government to adopt a National Bee Action Plan, a step already taken by the Welsh Assembly.
As part of this campaign, Friends of the Earth is setting up 60 "bee worlds" across the country to show how easily habitats can be restored.
The group is asking people to sign its action plan petition at:
www.ipetitions.com/ petition/help-bees-in-leicester
