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Our bee-friendly sites: Adams Bottom
More about our wildflower site in Adams Bottom, including what’s planted there and the history of the site.
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Our bee-friendly sites: Parsons Close Recreation Ground
Find out what’s planted in our wildflower site at Parsons Close Recreation Ground, and the work we’ve done at the site.
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Our bee-friendly sites: Astral Park Community Orchard
Find out more about our community orchard in Astral Park, probably the first orchard in Leighton Buzzard for generations.
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Our bee-friendly sites: Leighton Buzzard station
Learn more about how we’re managing the bee-friendly site on platform one of Leighton Buzzard station.
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Our bee-friendly sites: Knaves Hill hedge
Find out more about how our established hedge at Knaves Hill is providing nectar and nesting opportunities for wildlife.
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Our bee-friendly sites: River Ouzel
We’ve transformed the monoculture banks of the River Ouzel into a native paradise.
Biodiversity
For over 10 years we have been working hard to improve and support Leighton Buzzard and Linslade’s biodiversity with our Keep the Buzz in Leighton Buzzard campaign, a partnership with Leighton-Linslade Town Council.
The campaign gives bees and butterflies food and homes across our town. It’s our longest running campaign, and many of our practical work parties focus on the maintenance, management, watering and planting of these sites.
Improving biodiversity across Leighton Buzzard
In partnership with Leighton-Linslade Town Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, The Greensand Trust, local businesses, schools and residents, we’ve created and continue to maintain 19 areas of wildflowers for nectar and pollen, and leave grass and stems long to support habitats and hibernation.
There are seven areas owned by the town council, seven owned by Central Bedfordshire Council, two sites in schools, one at platform 1 at Leighton Buzzard station, and others including the narrow-gauge railway, local shops and the Jobcentre.
For several years, Leighton-Linslade Town Council has given us a generous grant to help towards the cost of the work on their seven sites, for which we are very grateful. The project would not have happened without their generous support and advice.
In 2014 the then-Environment Minister Lord De Mauley visited our sites and as a result Leighton Buzzard became a national case study for helping bees. In 2017 we won a Bees’ Needs Champions Award from Defra. We have also had international recognition in Nature’s Keepers.
Why bee-friendly areas?
Many of our plants, including food crops, are pollinated by wild bees, which compete with honey bees for pollen and nectar. Our wildlife-friendly sites and hedges not only provide more food plants for important pollinators, but create wildlife corridors to the town’s other green spaces, including the Ouzel River and Meadows.
Leighton Buzzard is fortunate to be nestled within the Greensand Ridge – a distinctive landscape that’s ecologically important due to its sandy soils and acidic grassland, and home to specific wildlife and plants. Our wildflower sites contribute to the Ridge’s mosaic of habitats. Look out for our panels with our Keep the Buzz logo around town identifying these sites and to learn more about what’s planted there.
Our bee-friendly sites
Take a look at where our sites are located. Why not come along to one of our volunteering sessions to help look after them?