Inside Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s Pollinating the Peak project

Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s Pollinating the Peak project, which aims to transform the Peak District and Derbyshire into a haven for bumblebees, was formally launched at a Spring Celebration event attended by dozens of local families at Chesterfield’s Eastwood Park on Saturday 5 May.

There were art workshops, a bumblebee safari and bumblebee treasure hunt, and a Buzzing Bumblebee Parade. Drumming or ‘Drumblebee’ sessions were led by percussionist and social worker Biant Singh-Suwali.

Guests helped create a giant land-art picture of the Bilberry bumblebee – one of Britain’s rarest bumblebees, now only found in the Peak District and a few other areas. The artwork used natural and re-used materials, and was led by Donna Booth and Natalie Peace from local community interest company Growth Activities.

Bee-friendly flower were planted in a corner of Eastwood Park to create a new pollinator-friendly garden. Families were also able to take a bee-friendly plant and so help create a big local network of bee foraging habitat.