Bee Habitat Meadow Project /
Tocil Wood
In 2010 Ann Loscombe and Wendy
Campbell-Briggs, two local artists, embarked on a project to raise
awareness of the plight of the honey bee and the importance of
these insects whose numbers have sadly been in global decline for
many years. The reasons for the decline are not known for sure but
can be attributed to several factors, one of which is a loss of
suitable habitat.
The Bee Habitat Meadow project aims to
create a wildflower meadow and install bee hives along one of the
rides in young woodland adjacent to the Tocil Wood nature reserve
on the campus of the University of Warwick. The Trust were
contacted to offer advice on the project and as such have helped
with both the planning and practical work involved in the various
stages of creating the meadow. Living Landscape Officer for
Coventry, Peter Thorne has attended practical work parties and
provided the tools for these sessions at the meadow with some of
the volunteers who have been helping with the habitat management in
Tocil Wood over the winter.
Peter Rose, the Warwick Volunteers manager
has been generating support for the project which has led to a hard
working group of students attending both the practical work parties
to date. The volunteers have been working hard by helping to rake
off the grass cuttings following the mowing earlier in the year,
sowing the wildflower seed and the next work party will see them
helping remove more dominant invasive species to help allow the
wildflowers to establish. Through an ongoing mowing regime and
assisted by the volunteers, the meadow should improve floristically
year on year for the benefit of both the bees and all who pass by
during its summer time display.
The Bee Habitat Meadow is a joint project
with collaborators from: David Chandler, HRI Warwick University,
the Warwick Volunteers Department and Estates Office of Warwick
University, the Woodland Trust, the Warwick and Leamington Branch
(of) Warwickshire Beekeepers Association (WBKA), The Warwickshire
Federation of Women's Institute and Landlife and Coventry City
Council.
For details of the next work party please
contact Peter Thorne on 024 7630 2912 or email peter.thorne@wkwt.org.uk
Bees are
important - find out more about how you can help on the Wildlife
Trust's website at bees are
important