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The bees are back in town!

A honeybee flying through the air

Press release issued: 24 August 2022

After a hiatus of three years the Bee and Pollination Festival is back! Come and find out about the vital role pollinators play in our lives at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden this weekend.

The annual Bee and Pollination Festival will take place at the Botanic Garden, Stoke Bishop, Bristol, on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 August from 10 am to 5 pm.

Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the ancient art of mediaeval skep making - the skill of twisting straw to make a secure home for honeybees, with Chris Park. Chris will also be giving talks on ‘Mead, medicine, and magic,’ traditional folklore from the ancient Britons that surrounds honey drinks and their ‘salubrious natures’.

This weekend’s programme of short talks include Dr Rowena Jenkins on the health benefits of Manuka honey; Dr Thomas O’Shea-Wheller on the threat to native species from the Asian hornet; Dr Steve Nicholls introduces the world of dragonflies and how they have evolved; and Monica Barlow from Bees for Development on how sharing beekeeping skills with the poorest communities in the world can help build livelihoods and save natural habitats.

Nick Wray, Curator of the Botanic Garden, said: “Due to the pandemic, it has been three years since we last hosted our Bee and Pollination Festival, so it’s great to be back. This year there is so much to learn, see, and experience - bringing together science research, natural history and beekeepers to provide something for everyone within the surroundings of the Botanic Garden in its late summer glory.”

Bristol Beekeepers will be back demonstrating the workings of a live hive, sharing the skills and knowledge needed to understand these fascinating insect communities. They will also be exhibiting jars of honey which will be put to the judges to find the best in Bristol. As well as jars of honey, waxy goods, and honey cake will be on display and available to buy.

Displays include Avon Wildlife Trust’s six acre learning hub and wildflower meadow, Grow Wilder; Beans and Herbs bee friendly flower and vegetable seeds; Bumblebee Conservation Trust will show how they care for and improve the land for the benefit of pollinators, and how you can do the same; global charity Bees For Development will talk about their vital work around the world; and Dr Christoph Grueter and researchers from the University’s School of Biological Sciences will be showcasing their research into honeybee communication and learning behaviours and sharing their knowledge with visitors.

There will also be a series of poetry walks performed by The IsamBards poetry quartet. Visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to join them in a stroll around the garden and hear them recite site-specific poems and new works created especially in honour of the bees.

Many plant nurseries will be at the festival, with expert advice from the growers or bee friendly garden goods available to buy, along with refreshments from Chandos Deli.

The Bee and Pollination Festival will take place at the Botanic Garden at The Holmes, Stoke Park Road, Bristol, BS9 1JG on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 August 2022 from 10 am to 5 pm. 

Admission: £10 (or £11 with gift aid donation); free to under 18s, Friends of the Garden, University of Bristol staff, retired staff and alumni and ALL students, carers of visitors.

Further information

About the University of Bristol Botanic Garden
The Botanic Garden has a strong evolutionary theme and cultivates over 5,000 plant species forming four core collections that illustrate plant evolution, plants from Mediterranean climates, useful plants (including Chinese and Western herb gardens) and rare and threatened native plants to the Bristol area. 

Star attractions include an amazing dell demonstrating the evolution of land plants including the dinosaurs' favourite plants: ginkgos, cycads, tree ferns, monkey puzzles and the Wollemi Pine. Other delights include glasshouses, home to giant Amazon water lilies, tropical fruit and medicinal plants, orchids, cacti and a unique sacred lotus collection. 

Normal admission and opening times
The Botanic Garden is open seven days a week: 10 am to 4.30 pm (Glasshouses 10.30am to 4 pm).

Admission: £9 (or £9.90 with gift aid donation), except on WEDNESDAYS, which are DAISY (Donate As It Suits You) days; free to University staff, retired staff and alumni, Friends of the Botanic Garden, students and children under 18, carers of visitors.

Dogs (except registered disability assistance dogs) are not permitted in the Botanic Garden.

The garden is accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters with a designated path leading around the garden and glasshouses. Disabled toilet facilities are available on site and a wheelchair is available upon request from the Welcome Lodge.

Directions to the Botanic Garden 
From the city centre go to the top of Whiteladies Road, at the junction and traffic lights go straight ahead across Durdham Down towards Stoke Bishop. At the traffic lights go straight ahead and take the first turning on the right into Stoke Park Road, the Botanic Garden at the Holmes is 150 metres on the right.

Members of the public wishing to support the work of the Botanic Garden should join the Friends of the Garden. For more information go to the Friends of the Botanic Garden or contact Sue Beech, Membership Secretary, email: membership@fubbg.co.uk

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