A Bristol woman will dress as a bee when she takes her turn on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square this weekend in a bid to highlight the plight of the insect.

Shirley Brown will be taking part in the One & Other project today.

Conceived by artist Antony Gormley, the aim of the project is to create a living monument that captures modern Britain.

Every hour, 24 hours a day, for 100 days without a break, a different person will make the plinth their own.

Anyone selected can use their time on the plinth any way they chose.

Ms Brown, a writer, of Cotham, hopes her hour will bring home the importance of an issue that she believes affects everyone.

She said: "I've been watching the parade of plinthers since the One & Other project started on July 6, so I've had a chance to think about what would be the most effective way to get my message across.

"I find I quickly get bored if people give worthy speeches about the issues they are highlighting, so I wanted to do something that was more fun, for me as well as anyone watching.

"My friends from Hotwells Community Pantomime are great believers in the bee cause, and have helped me to come up with a little show that we hope will make people laugh first, but think afterwards.

"Bees are dying and disappearing at an unprecedented rate, and we need to find out why and take positive action to reverse the trend.

"Modern farming methods with huge fields and single crops have greatly reduced the numbers of hedgerows and wildflowers that bees used to feed on.

"Pesticides not only kill off pests – certain types also weaken bees' immune systems and make them vulnerable to diseases.

"So I'm supporting the Soil Association's campaign again some particularly harmful pesticides called neonicotinoids, which are already banned in several European countries but still allowed in Britain."

Her rather unusual costume has been designed by Di Steeds, a professional props, costume and puppet maker, who has previously used her talents to make costumes for Hotwells pantomime.

Ms Brown's action has been applauded by Avon Wildlife Trust (AWT).

Steve Micklewright, the head of AWT's people and wildlife programme, said: "Shirley's hour as a bee will help spread the word that we're all in trouble if we don't look after our bees better.

"They're behind one in every three mouthfuls of the food the world eats.

"So, if they go, we go hungry – or altogether."

Ms Brown isn't the first person from the Bristol area to scale the dizzy heights of the Fourth Plinth.

Earlier this month Dr Stephen Roser, 52, of Montpelier, became the first person from the city to head to the ominous plinth the capital – making his stand on the first day of the exhibit. He chose to take 50 chocolate bars up with him to throw out to the crowd, arguing chocolate always makes people happy.

Dr Roser also read a number of poems.

Other participants, chosen randomly from 14,500 applicants, have included a cyclist who used pedal power to light up his specially created suit and an 83-year-old armed with semaphore flags.