Did you know it is “Bees Needs” week? This is a week long campaign by The Bumblebee Trust to help raise awareness of bees and other pollinators. During Bees’ Needs Week, London’s world-famous shopping destination will be renamed ‘Carnabee Street’ and transformed into a hive of activity!

What should we do to help bees? The Bumblebee Trust suggest:

Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees
Let your garden grow wild
Cut your grass less often
Don’t disturb insect nest and hibernation spots
Think carefully about whether to use pesticides

What are we are doing to help bees throughout our Greenhavens Network?

For our first story we asked Community Liaison Officer, Karen (who co-ordinates the Greenhavens Network) to let us know what Burleys, who manage local ground maintenance contracts are doing for pollinators in Lewes and Newhaven,  This was her response:

Burleys Newhaven

We hope that you spotted all the beautiful meadow verges and patches scattered across Newhaven this summer.

Six meadows are managed by Burleys as part of the Lewes District Council wildflower initiative project which has been running now for three years. There are several different types of meadows. The first are more biodiversity rich – perennial wildflowers sown once, they are then left to get on with it, year on year.

The other meadows, are the annual wildflower seeds, chosen for our pollinators and these are much prettier and have to be sown yearly.

There are two meadows in Fort Road Recreation Grounds, one perennial and one annual. Denton Island, Denton Playground are annuals. Castle Hill, Valley Ponds and Meeching Down are perennial meadows.

Burleys Lewes

Around the Lewes district there are in fact 18 meadows that are managed by Burleys as part of the Lewes District Council

These mini meadows are scattered across roadside verges, recreation fields, housing estates and cemeteries.

This year all the meadows were teeming with butterflies, bees, grasshoppers and crickets. It’s amazing just how many insects benefit from such small areas.

We would love to have more wildlife records of what you are spotting in your local meadows and encourage you to get in contact with Burleys, Krigby-faux@gburley.co.uk

 

Whats Going on for Bees Needs Week? – check at our Events Calendar or see below:

Monday – Pop along to Wildflower Lewes monthly meeting at the Railway Link Centre – they are mad on planting flowers to attract bees

Wednesday –You can look for bees as you walk, on the weekly Peacehaven Plodders walk or go along and explore the meadows at the YHA with the South Downs Ranger

Thursday – There;s a chance to look for more bees and wildlife with a walk around Bishopstone with the South Downs Rangers and SCDA

Saturday – Go check out Peacehaven Community Garden and see how they attract bees to their vegetables or University of Sussex are hosting a conference on how to attract them

Lots of things going on – Bee Busy, go have some buzzing fun….