Have you heard the buzz in Knutsford? They won a Bees Needs Award!
Knutsford is a close-knit community in the heart of Cheshire where you’ll find a dedicated group of people committed to bringing nature into the town. They have chosen to start this journey with bees!
Where it all began
At the heart of this mission to bring nature to Knutsford is the Knutsford Council Nature Action Plan working group and our Communications and Marketing Officer Emily Lake met Kevin Griffiths and Cllr April Johnson from the working group to learn more about their work. We hadn’t even reached the Moor from the carpark when we were stopped by some local residents who wanted to tell April how much they love the bee trail and how it is now a regular route for their daily dog walks.
Asking Kevin and April why they chose to start with a bee trail, the answer was simple, bees and other pollinators are so important to nature and nature is important for our health and wellbeing so it’s a win-win for people and nature in the town. There was a debate in Knutsford about whether to spray footpaths with herbicide to maintain clean and clear walkways. This divisive issue led to a wider discussion about nature in the town and a realisation that there was so much happening for nature already, why not link it all up and planning began in earnest on the bee trail.
The facts speak for themselves with the UK being home to 270 species of bee, 24 of which are bumblebees. We do have a rare native dark honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) however it is likely that the honey bees you see will be the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the remaining 250+ species are solitary bees.
Launching the Bee Trail
The bee trail had its launch earlier this year in June and is the first of four large scale projects planned by the working group to be implemented over the next four years.
The trail links key landmarks, patches of wildflower meadow, areas that have been planted with bulbs, allotments and other local green spaces including private gardens together to form a pollinator superhighway through the town centre and surrounding residential areas. Queens Street became a real feature in spring when residents scattered poppy seeds across the pavement resulting in a burst of colour that outcompeted the less welcome grasses and brightened everyone’s day who walked down it.
The launch saw the whole community come together to celebrate all things bee, from bakers to craft and educational talks and opportunities for children to dress up!
Knutsford Guardian article on the launch of the Bee Trail
The debate continues about how to manage the condition of the footpaths however the groups involved in the bee trail have seen a positive impact on members of the community who were initially not in favour of wilder green spaces and realise there is more work to be done to change people's minds about allowing messy spaces for nature.
Kevin highlighted the fact that a lot of local businesses have gotten involved including the local bookshop who were approached by the working group to stock books on bees and other pollinators and the sweet shop who featured bees in their shop window display.
There is a large map located at the Moor and 22 information signs dotted along the route with leaflets featuring information and a map available to collect from local businesses around town. The 3.5 mile route can also be broken down into shorter walks to make it as accessible as possible for everyone.
The eye catching signs and leaflets were designed by local resident and illustrator Lyndsey Keppel-Green and the information was written by Kevin Griffiths.
On the Town Council website people can learn about the bee trail and pledge to Bee a Hero by doing something to help support pollinators in their garden or a green space they have access to.
Get in touch with Knutsford Town Council’s Nature Action Plan working group
The award
The Bees' Needs Award is a DEFRA initiative and was presented to the group by the Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh at Kew Gardens in London in July this year.
The Knutsford Council Nature Action Plan working group hope that being recognised by DEFRA will mean they can help other communities across Cheshire and further afield create their own bee trails to bring colour and pollinators into other towns.
Knutsford Guardian article about the Bees Needs Award
“We have seen a noticeable increase in the number of bees and other insects since establishing the bee trail, especially at the local allotments.”
Cllr April Johnson
If, after reading this blog you would like to do something like this in your town then please reach out to us or the working group who would love to help other towns do their own bee trails.
Get in touch with Cheshire Wildlife Trust
Here are their top tips on what we can all do to help bees and other pollinators:
- You can leave some piles of leaves or twigs in your garden for bees and other pollinators to live
- You can plant some native wildflowers in your garden or at school
- You can leave a shallow dish of water with some stones in it for bees and other pollinators to access water safely
- You can avoid spraying chemicals onto your garden
- You can buy organic fruit and vegetables in your local shops
- You can bee untidy and leave an area or corner of your garden with longer grass, brambles, twigs for bees and pollinators to thrive
- You can buy or make some bee or insect boxes
The best plants for bees and pollinators
The Knutsford Council Nature Action Plan working group are planning to highlight a different habitat and iconic species that uses that habitat over the next 4 years, with ponds and frogs being next on their list. Then in the third year the group will stretch their wings highlighting birds and in the fourth year it will be the turn of the hedgehog. However, they are not done with the bee trail and have written to DEFRA in the hopes of establishing a nation bee trail and I can see this work continuing long into the future and spreading out into wider Cheshire.