Dukes Meadows Lives up to its Name

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Meadow replanted as ‘bee friendly behaviour’ initiative announced

Back in 2009, the Dukes Meadows Trust initiated a project to recreate a wildflower meadow in the Chiswick park and now, finally this summer, their hard work is there for all to see.

Volunteers efforts to remove the existing grass and roots and replace them with biannual and annual wildflowers have paid off. The area is now a ‘blaze of colour’ and a fabulous new habitat for many different types of wildlife.

This is excellent news on the day that a plan to support the urban bee population was announced. The scheme hopes to encourage local communities to practise ‘bee friendly behaviour’ such as: growing your own bee-friendly food, shopping for locally sourced honey and reducing the amount of pesticides used in our gardens.

The scheme also emphasises the importance of bees to our environment. One in three mouthfuls of food we eat is reliant on pollination and it is estimated that the bee population contributes £430 million to the British economy.

Worryingly, in the past 20 years the number of honey bees has declined by 54% and this fall will continue without serious action. With the Dukes Meadows Trust looking for new volunteers and sponsors to help expand the new meadow, it is an ideal opportunity to contribute to addressing this important environmental issue.

To contact the trust and get involved please contact admin@dukesmeadowstrust.org.

June 13, 2011