We’ve all heard how bees are perfectly adapted to pollinate, helping plants grow, breed and produce food. They do so by transferring pollen between flowering plants and therefore keeping the cycle of life turning. However, did you know, one third of the UK’s bee population has disappeared over the past decade? Not only does this mean that 24% of Europe’s bees are now threatened with extinction, but nearly 1 in 10 of Europe’s overall wild bee species are facing this risk too.
Here at mission : net zero, we are helping our hospitality clients ramp up their biodiversity efforts as part of their wider environmental, sustainability and social impact programmes. We even decided to lead by example and foster a couple of beehives!
Simon (our CEO) and Jane (our COO) suited up, ready to get close to the bee action!
Benefits of beekeeping
- A sustainable way to support the declining honeybee population
- A positive way to contribute to biodiversity and the local environment
- An innovative solution for meeting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ambitions, especially those looking to apply for B(ee) Corp Certification.
- Employee and customer engagement and wellbeing
- Amazing marketing and PR opportunities
- And, when conservatively harvested, leaving enough stores for the bees to survive through the winter, the liquid gold honey crop is a major bonus!
One way for hotel owners and operators to keep bees is to install hives in their grounds or rooftops, where suitable. Another, for those who are just starting out – as we are – is for the bees to live in an apiary where their every need is lovingly seen to by Mother Nature … and an experienced, expert beekeeper of course (we recommend Martin Knight of Knights Beekeeping).
Jane commented, “fostering these pivotal pollinators and interacting with these amazing creatures was enlightening, humbling, educational, and hugely rewarding. We loved it and can’t wait to go back again.”
If you’re interested in discussing how you too could benefit from backing a beehive as part of your ‘green credentials’, please contact us.
