New ‘Bee Beds’ create a buzz in Angus
Two new flower beds in Brechin and Edzell will support local biodiversity and help pollinators thrive.
A wildlife-friendly planting initiative has created a new buzz in Angus with two new flower beds created to help bees, butterflies and birds thrive.
The two new ‘bee-beds’ have been planted in Edzell and Brechin thanks to a partnership between electricity company SSEN Transmission, Balfour Beatty, Angus Council and biodiversity conservation charity RePollinate.
The ‘bee beds’ have been planted to encourage a diverse range of pollinators - including butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, flies, beetles, birds – to help find food, helping to promote biodiversity and encourage a thriving ecosystem.
Almost 450 plants have been planted across the two locations, which have been carefully selected to suit the environment they will be based in and provide the best food and habitat for pollinators. This includes a rich mix of perennial cottage garden plants such as geraniums and irises, as well as native wildflowers such as primrose, bloody cranesbill, bugle and water avens, providing a colourful display in the new ‘Beds for Bees’ while also supporting local biodiversity.
Pupils from Edzell Primary School and Andover Primary School in Brechin also came along to help, taking great care to dig holes for the new plants in the displays.
RePollinate is an organisation which sets out to help conserve and improve prospects for the UK’s pollinators, which are facing many challenges including the loss of habitats, pesticides and the effects of climate change. Their aim is to help pollinators by working with organisations and communities through programmes like their Bed for Bees initiative, which involves establishing nectar-rich plantings to support the UK’s pollinators help encourage insect and bird species to thrive.
With World Environment Day taking place on 5 June, which exists to encourage awareness and action for the protection of the environment, the bee bed initiative is another example of how action at local level can be taken to help look after the biodiversity and wildlife in the area.
SSEN Transmission and Balfour Beatty project teams working on the East Coast 400kV overhead line project approached RePollinate to help them design two new bee beds in Brechin and Edzell to help support local biodiversity. Working with Angus Council, two areas were selected – with one bee bed to be installed in front of Brechin Library and the other involving revamping an existing flower bed at the entrance to the park at Edzell Muir.
Declan Muir, SSEN Transmission Project Manager, said:
“Looking after the environment and promoting biodiversity is a key part of all of our projects, and as a team we were keen to work with the local community to leave a positive environmental legacy as part of our East Coast 400kV overhead line upgrade project.
“We’re really pleased to be involved in the new bee beds here at Brechin and Edzell, and it was fantastic having some of the local school pupils join us to help planting too. They’ve been learning about the natural environment as part of a school project and were all very enthusiastic and had lots to say about bees!
“With World Environment Day taking place on 5 June, this project is a great example of partnership working with the local community, RePollinate, Angus Council and Balfour Beatty to protect the natural environment, and I hope the new bee beds will bring a colourful natural display for everyone to enjoy.”
Nick Trull, Project Manager at RePollinate, said:
“We are very happy to work with Balfour Beatty and SSEN Transmission on this perennial scheme in Angus. Working remotely with Angus Council as our on-the-ground delivery partner has worked really well, and we are excited to see how the bee beds develop with their support this season and in the coming years.
“The projects in Edzell and Brechin presented two very different planting environments and a requirement for distinct planting styles, varying in their formality. This has therefore been a fantastic opportunity to showcase the versatility of the Beds for Bees approach.”
Andrew Davison, Senior Project Manager at Balfour Beatty said:
“Balfour Beatty is delighted to support this RePollinate initiative. We have been delivering community projects in collaboration with SSEN Transmission and the people of Angus for a number of years, so to be able to enhance this work by creating a bee bed is fantastic.
“Bringing together local authorities, local schools and biodiversity experts to create a bespoke habitat for pollinators in Edzell is reflective of the positive legacy that Balfour Beatty aims to leave for our people and our planet.”
Director of Infrastructure and Environment for Angus Council, Graeme Dailly said:
"This is an important initiative to ensure the ongoing support of biodiversity in Angus.
"By creating these bee-friendly habitats, we are not only enhancing the beauty of our community but also playing a crucial role in promoting biodiversity and environmental health, ensuring a sustainable future for both our local ecosystem and agriculture."
SSEN Transmission is committed to delivering a “greener grid”, focusing on habitat restoration and creating biodiversity growth across the network in the north of Scotland. SSEN Transmission is delivering 10% Biodiversity Net Gain on all new sites, working to actively improve sites for the benefit of local communities, flora and fauna.
Funds for the bee beds are provided by the project team delivering the East Coast 400kV Overhead Line Upgrade project, which is currently under construction. The project involves upgrading the existing 275kV overhead line circuits between Kintore, Fetteresso, Alyth and Kincardine Substations to 400kV operation. The project is part of a significant number of projects on the East Coast of Scotland to strengthen the transmission network in the region, enabling the connection of new renewable generation to the grid and helping to facilitate the transition to net zero emissions.
More information about Pollinators
The bee beds comprise of a diverse mix of plants carefully selected to provide as many foraging opportunities for pollinators as possible and for as many species as possible, whilst also thinking about the aesthetics of the plantings through the year.
The deep tubular flowers of the early-flowering lungworts provide a nectar source for emerging long-tongued bumblebee queens during the ‘hungry gap’ in late winter/early spring, which is important for the recruitment of new queens.
The variety in flower morphology and colour in the bee beds means that other species groups are accounted for, such as solitary bees feeding on the shallow flowers of lesser calamint, and butterflies and hoverflies attracted to the bright composite flowers of the rudbeckia. The late season blooms of the hylotelephium provide an important nectar source for species preparing to hibernate for the winter, with the evergreen foliage and decorative seedheads of other plants providing shelter from harsh weather conditions.
Learn more about SSEN Transmission’s East Coast 400kV project here:
About RePollinate
- RePollinate is an organisation which sets out to help conserve and improve prospects for the UK’s pollinators, which are facing many challenges including the loss of habitats, pesticides and the effects of climate change. Visit their website on: https://www.repollinate.org.uk/