There’s a buzz in the air and a rustle in the wind as two Bedford businesses have marked Earth day by ‘investing in our planet’ and supporting the local environment on their doorstep.
Bedford brewer Wells and Co have said they’re now going to be home to thousands of honey bees, who are moving into three hives in an unused field at the back of their brewery that has been affectionately dubbed ‘beepoint’.
To give them the best start, wild and bee-friendly flowers will be planted in the fields around the hive, alongside bug hotels made from old broken pallets to increase biodiversity within the currently empty space.
Once made, the honey will be included in Brewpoint’s breakfast menu and sold in their shop. There are also talks of integrating honey as an ingredient in future beers.
Meanwhile, Bedford Heights has planted 92 trees in a line along Manton Lane.
The Texas Silver birch and River birch trees are in keeping with Bedford Heights’ Texas Instruments heritage and being the total number of trees planted around the site in the last few months up to 110.
Eventually, the trees will grow to a mature height of 30 to 35 ft over the next 15 to 20 years.
Native wildflowers will also be planted underneath the trees creating a screen of trees and wildflowers and serve to reduce the mowing required, which is more environmentally friendly
Dave Boyd, head gardener said: “Our ethos here at Bedford Heights is to work with nature rather than against it. We selected the Texas Silverbirch variety for its robustness and familiarity with rainfall, which suits our UK climate.
“Its natural habitat is the flood lands in Texas and with our Texan roots, these trees not only help improve our environment they also link in nicely with the original owners of Bedford Heights, Texas Instruments.”
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Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
The official theme for Earth Day 2022 is Invest In Our Planet.
