Giant bee sculpture unveiled at The Mere in Ellesmere
A sculpture of a giant bee has taken up residence at The Mere in Ellesmere.
The ‘Bee Metropolis’ (pictured below) is the latest feature at The Mere and is the culmination of efforts by staff and volunteers to introduce a greater diversity of plant species, with particular emphasis on providing colour and nectar rich plants to support our troubled bee populations.
Constructed by local artist Caroline Lowe, the Bee Metropolis has been sited at the sunny centre of an area of Cremorne Gardens that was previously overgrown and unmanaged, but which is now extensively covered with wildflower meadows and new trees selected for their colour and form.
The mound of wood has been built from three beech trees that were diseased and need to be felled at this spot. This has been stacked in a way and drilled with hundreds of holes that will give a home to solitary bees and a whole array of other invertebrates.
The work has already been acknowledged nationally with The Mere being named one of only a handful of winners for the ‘Bees Needs’ campaign, which is coordinated by Defra and the National Pollinator Strategy and presented to Green Flag Award winning parks and green spaces in England that have made improvements to encourage pollinators.
Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for outdoor recreation, said:
“This is another fantastic addition to the many unique sculptures already on display around The Mere and will provide people with another great reason to visit the park, and Ellesmere. I’d like to commend Caroline on the Bee Metropolis, and also praise the staff and volunteers at The Mere for their valuable work to make the area more bee-friendly.”
Ann Hartley, Shropshire Councillor for Ellesmere, said:
“This is an imaginative way to utilise the wood collected from diseased trees. The area has been completely regenerated following the necessary felling of the trees, and is another welcome attraction in the Cremorne Gardens, adding a fabulous attraction for bees. I urge everyone to visit the fantastic attraction.”
The Bee Metropolis has been mostly funded via the Ellesmere Sculpture initiative, and has already resulted in very positive comments from the public.
Owned and managed by Shropshire Council, The Mere was recently awarded a Green Flag award for the second consecutive year, and is in the running to be named the UK’s favourite park in the Green Flag Award People’s Choice awards. To vote go to www.greenflagaward.org. The closing date is 30 September 2015.
Note to media
There will be a photo and interview opportunity involving artist Caroline Lowe and others involved in the project at 2pm on Monday 21 September, at Cremorne Gardens.
