Further to a review for the client of the rooftop at 201 Bishopsgate on the Broadgate Campus, it was agreed to not install beehives – rather install a sustainable plant palette along with building bee habitats for native bees and pollinators.
Prior to the CSR events, Q&S installed a sustainable planting palette to provide suitable forage and refuge for native pollinators, invertebrates and birds, from installation of early flowering bulbs, to native drought tolerant plants, to species that provide food for nocturnal pollinators, through to taller herbage.
Event Day
In April, with the assistance of willing volunteers, Q&S held two CSR events on the roof to enhance biodiversity and sustainable. Thank you @MarkPatterson at Apicultural for the wealth of bee knowledge that you shared with the volunteers.
Biodiversity improvements
With the focus on native pollinators such as solitary bees, the volunteers, with Q&S’ support, installed ground nesting bee mounds, cavity nesting boxes, bee posts and Hoverfly breeding rainwater ponds. Not a beehive in sight.
On the day schedule: after Mark’s introduction to bees and biodiversity, the enthusiastic volunteers got to work constructing bee mounds, hotels, and hoverfly pools as well as installing sustainable plug plants.
“Yesterday’s project …..was a great success! We received huge interest, and the feedback was that it was an excellent way of learning more about biodiversity and making an impact”
@rowanbuchanan
“Q&S are passionate about sharing their biodiversity and sustainability knowledge, and it’s great to hear (and see) that day was successful and enjoyed by all.”
@suepayne
Natural Habitats
With sustainability at the core, Q&S, with the help of the volunteers created bee posts made from naturally fallen logs, which we reclaimed and then drilled in various sized holes. We also repurposed fallen logs to create the bee mounds and the Hoverfly ponds, and reclaimed some of the rubble for the gabions from a local construction site.
Bee Post
Cavity Nesting Mound (gabions)
Hoverfly breeding rainwater pond
Ground Nesting Mound (sand and logs)
Two Weeks Later
What a difference two weeks and some sunshine and rain will do! Plants thriving, and promising signs of several bee nests in a few of the mounds. Early guests enjoying the Air Bee n’ Bee!
