Warwick joins Leamington and Kenilworth in gaining Bee Friendly Town status
Warwick has now joined Leamington and Kenilworth in gaining the status of being a Bee Friendly Town.
The national Bee Friendly Trust has awarded this accolade, recognising the work of the community group, Bee Friendly Warwick.
This small community group has been working with volunteers, schools, other groups and councils to raise awareness of the pressures facing pollinators.
Leamington was also awarded the status this week – with both town’s statuses being announced on World Bee Day on May 20.
The two towns now join Bee Friendly Kenilworth which was awarded Bee Friendly Town status in 2022.
The Kenilworth group was also one of the first six locations to be officially named as such.
Sara Lever, chair of Bee Friendly Warwick, said: “Future children should be able to enjoy the flight of a butterfly, the buzz of a bee and the zig-zag of a hoverfly near where they live to fully enjoy the magical diversity of the natural world in which we belong.
"I am delighted that Bee Friendly Leamington has also achieved Bee Friendly status this year, joining Bee Friendly Kenilworth in the honour of gaining this title. Surely Warwickshire has the most Bee Friendly Towns?”
What does the Warwick Bee Friendly group do?
Warwick members along with members from the Kenilworth and Leamington groups attend events year-round, including Eco-fest in Leamington and the recent Leamington Nature Patchwork.
This year, Warwick’s Bee Friendly group’s annual event is called ‘Bee Wild’ and will be held on Saturday June 14 at Hill Close Gardens in Warwick. There will be a range of activities, stalls as well as other attending wildlife groups.
The group has created, and shared with the Warwick District Green Spaces Team, a map plotting existing local wilder gardens, wildflower verges, wildflower patches and the habitat gaps to be filled.
Warwick’s Bee Friendly regularly gives talks to local groups, including the Scouts, U3A and the Horticultural Association.
The group has also helped local residents adopt a verge for wildlife by seeding it with native UK perennial wildflowers, and it has helped other groups by supplying seeds and advice on meadow creation.
They also help run the plant swap Facebook group, Kenilworth and South Warwickshire Plant Swap.
More broadly, the group has petitioned for a reduction in the Warwick District Council's use of pesticides, which has become part of the Council's Biodiversity Action Plan. The relationship with Warwick District Council extends to advising their Biodiversity Team regarding wild bees, and they have helped with a seasonal newsletter.
Recently, the group said they have also suggested sites for the first trials of council wildflower patches and low-mow areas. Leamington’s group has also done this.
For more information about Bee Friendly Warwick got to: https://www.facebook.com/BeeFriendlyWarwick or https://sites.google.com/view/beefriendlywarwick/home