We’re buzzing with pride to announce that a new bee corridor, originally launched in Letchworth, is coming to Royston! After winning two Green Apple Environment Awards, this budding project is now spreading its wings to a second town in North Herts, to enhance local biodiversity and create a thriving habitat for local wildlife.
The project, involving the council but led by John O’Conner, our grounds maintenance contractor, won a Commended Gold Green Apple Environment Award last year (pictured below) and this year won a Green World Award, which recognises environmental best practice around the globe!
Cllr Mick Debenham, Executive Member for Environment, Leisure and Greenspaces, said: “We are incredibly proud to have received international recognition for our work with John O’Conner in preserving and enhancing biodiversity through the creation of a bee corridor in Letchworth. This initiative has pollenated the town with enthusiasm for the importance of bees and local biodiversity. We are really excited to be creating one in Royston next, and hope other towns and villages will follow!”
Bee corridors join up bees' habitat over a specified area to help them buzz around more easily, and also help other pollinators like butterflies and hoverflies. We need to improve bees' environment, especially with the impact of urban developments, so they have enough flowers to pollinate, find a mate and shelter.
‘Bee’ part of it in Royston – Saturday 29 March
Pop along to Priory Gardens from 10am to 2pm, for a bee-rilliant range of activities and groups, including:
- Face painting
- Arts and crafts
- Making bee seed bombs and bug hotels
- Bee-friendly products
- Local bee keepers
- Culture Wood
- Royston Radio
- Wildlife Trust
- Refreshments
The main community event will take place at 1pm with a ‘seed bomb throw’ where local people will throw seed bombs (as pictured above) into a specified area which we’re hoping will grow into a patch of wildflowers for bees to enjoy!
We’re hoping this community event will help us get ‘Bee Friendly’ status for Royston from the Bee Friendly Trust, as we did with Letchworth in 2024.
Karen Green, Pest Control Manager at John O’Connor, and lead project officer for the North Herts bee corridors, said: “Being part of this incredible initiative has been an absolute privilege. From the outset, we aspired to achieve ‘Bee Friendly’ status for Letchworth, but as the project evolved, we discovered even more opportunities to expand its impact. It has truly grown into something remarkable. Receiving a Green World Award is a well-earned recognition for the teams involved and the local community - everyone has put in so much effort, and the results speak for themselves.
“Ultimately, though, the biggest beneficiaries are the bees. They now have an improved habitat with greater access to food, shelter, and safe pathways throughout the area. This will help them flourish, benefiting both the ecosystem and the town. Our hope is to use Letchworth as a blueprint for other towns and villages in North Herts.”
Cllr Debenham added: “Bees are fundamental to our ecosystem and we cannot afford to lose them – 1 in 3 mouthfuls of food eaten worldwide is dependent on pollinators, from your morning cup of coffee to a lovely juicy apple!”
For more information please email BeePartOfIt@JohnOConner.co.uk
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