Published on : Tuesday, July 26, 2016
A ‘bee bed and breakfast’ has been installed at Bristol Airport as part of a programme to enhance biodiversity on and around the site.
Located in a meadow between the Long Stay car park and nearby Downside Road, the specially designed habitat aims to encourage pollinators by providing the perfect nesting environment for solitary bees and introducing a wildflower ‘breakfast patch’ for all pollinators to enjoy and feed on.
Working in partnership with Balfour Beatty (who are building Bristol Airport’s west terminal extension), Bee Bristol ran a number of workshops educating the children from West Leigh School, Backwell on the importance of bees.
The school classroom activity session included a live beehive, a talk and presentation on bees and their habitat with the opportunity to make seed balls to use in their own gardens. Pupils then visited the Airport to plant the wildflower meadow and help install the ‘B&B’, which consists of twigs with hollow sticks that the children had made, allowing the bees to burrow in and rest after a busy day.
Melanie King, Bristol Airport’s Environment Manager, said:
“It was great to be able to work with Balfour Beatty and Bee Bristol in creating this unusual wildlife habitat. With bee numbers in the UK declining it is more important than ever they have a helping hand.
The Downside Road meadow is becoming a real haven for wildlife just a stone’s throw away from one of our busiest car parks, and the children of West Leigh have played their part in creating this little piece of paradise for bees.”
Tim Barsby, Director of BeeBristol, said:
“We’re delighted to see that both Bristol Airport and Balfour Beatty’s environmental work supports local educational projects whilst drawing attention to the plight of pollinators. We must all take steps to ensure their survival for generations to come.”
Later this year, West Leigh pupils will return to the Airport meadow to help sow more wildflowers so there will be more food for its pollinating visitors.
Source:- Bristol Airport
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