On Saturday 18th May, Manchester Friends of the Earth proved we can get as busy as any bee, starting work on our first Bee World at Parrs Wood Environmental Centre.
Sixty Bee Worlds are being created all over the UK as part of Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign. These wildflower meadows are needed to provide food and habitat for the UK’s declining bee population. The team of 16 volunteers from MFoE and Action for Sustainable Living set to work on an area of land larger than 15×15 metres. Action for Sustainable Living is an organisation based in Manchester, which supports projects that enhance the sustainability of local communities. When they heard about MFoE’s Bee World project, they were more than happy to get involved.
Manchester Withington MP John Leech backs our demand for a national Bee Action Plan
Luckily, the rain held off all afternoon, but the soil was very damp and full of thick roots that needed to be removed to prepare it for wildflower seeds—a tough job, but the dedicated team worked hard to get the job done and were rewarded with delicious homemade cakes and hot tea. Local MP John Leech came to lend a hand on the day to show he also fully supports the Bee Cause. MFoE Campaign Lead Steph Lynch was delighted with the day’s success: ‘All the volunteers should be very proud of themselves. This meadow will help the biodiversity in the area.’
Volunteers from Action for Sustainable Living and Manchester FoE after a hard afternoon’s work raking, digging and weeding to prepare the Bee World
The team returned on Monday 27th May to complete the sowing and will be visiting regularly over the year to check on the growing of both our seeds and the weeds! If you fancy helping out with the project, we would love to have you along—please get in touch!
For more information about the Bee Cause please see: http://www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/the_bee_cause_home_map_39371.html
Email Steph on steph@manchesterfoe.org.uk for further information about the campaign locally and how you can get involved.
