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Preview: Bristol Bee & Pollination Festival 2018
Without pollinators there would be no strawberries, apples and chocolate. At this weekend’s Bee & Pollination Festival at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden in Stoke Bishop, people will be able to find out how they can help bees and other vital pollinators or learn about growing fruit and vegetables.
The festival over the weekend of September 1 and 2 will also celebrate the 90th anniversary of Bristol Beekeepers’ Society annual honey show.
Visitors to the festival will discover all that is happening in the bee world including the threat of the Asian Hornet, the debate about whether to feed bees in heatwaves and how gardeners can help bees and other pollinators to survive and thrive.
is needed now More than ever
There will be honey tasting at the festival – photo by Nick Wray
The Botanic Garden will welcome to the festival for the first time a community food-growing project. Feed Bristol is Avon Wildlife Trusts’ six-acre outdoor learning hub and native wildflower nursery, which champions conservation and ecology in a productive food growing setting to inspire people to act to create a nature rich city.
A major part of the festival will be the series of talks by international experts, including Clara Montgomery, a PhD researcher from the University’s School of Biological Sciences, who will discuss whether bees dream of electric flowers.
Another newcomer to the festival will be skep maker and storyteller, Chris Park, who lives and works on organic farmland and keeps bees, some of the colonies being housed in traditional bee skeps and log hives.
Without pollinators there would be no strawberries, apples and chocolate – photo by Andy Winfield
Nick Wray, curator of the Botanic Garden, said: “The annual Bee & Pollination Festival brings together researchers and public in an environment where they can share their experiences and knowledge of the importance of insect pollination.
“We are delighted to host the Bristol Beekeepers in this their 90th Annual Bristol Honey Show, which combined with the University researchers will make for a unique experience for visitors.”
For more information, visit www.bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden/events/2018/bee-and-pollination-festival-2018.html
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