SSEN is buzzing after being shortlisted for Biodiversity awards
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ (SSEN) work with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to provide a new habitat for a rare type of bumblebee at its Thurso South substation in Caithness has been short-listed for two awards in the CIRIA BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards 2018.
The Great Yellow Bumblebee is amongst the rarest of bees in the UK with its numbers declining by about 90% in the past 50 years. This drop in numbers is thought to be mainly due to loss of habitat and intensification of farming processes.
One of the bees’ last bastions is Caithness, where they can still be found across the region. The flower-rich grassy meadows in the region have different flowering plants, such as bird’s-foot trefoil, red clover and knapweed, which provide the ideal habitat for the Great Yellow Bumblebee.
SSEN’s Thurso South substation is part of its Caithness-Moray project and along with the project’s main contractor, Balfour Beatty, SSEN was keen to cause the minimum amount of disruption, not just for the civilian communities, but also the flora and fauna. In recognition of the presence of this rare species of bumblebee SSEN sought advice from local bee experts to ensure that its essential works did not jeapardise the lives of the bees or their homes.
Following this advice, work was undertaken to create a more bee-friendly habitat by planting a flower-rich landscape with around 10 hectares of earth re-seeded around the substation site. By providing a different mix of flowers, including early flowering plants and nesting and hibernation places, it is hoped that other species will also benefit for this biodiversity enhancement.
SSEN’s Environmental Project Manager, Francis Williams, said:
“As a responsible developer, we are committed to minimising the impact of our activities on the local environment in which we operate. Working with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust provided everyone on the project with an invaluable insight into the life of a Great Yellow Bumblebee and the challenges being faced by the species. Thanks to the help and support we received from the trust, everyone on site had identification materials to help ensure that the habitat and other features which are important to the bees were created here in Caithness, and which we hope will contribute to the long-term survival of the bees.
“We are delighted our work has been recognised by the CIRIA BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards 2018 and everyone is really excited about the award ceremony next month, where we hope our positive work will be recognised further by the judges.”
The awards take place on 12 September and SSEN’s project has been short-listed for the following categories:
- Project of the Year - medium/large scale Award finalists
- Pollinator Awards finalist
For more information on the SSEN’s nominations, please visit the official Awards’ website.