The UK’s leading open space management company, Meadfleet, is through to the finals of this year’s Business Green Leaders Awards. Their Bee Friendly campaign is up for the top prize in the Nature-based Project of the Year category, recognising Meadfleet’s efforts to create additional habitats for bees and other pollinators.
Meadfleet are committed to providing a sustainable open space management option for developers and with the introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain this will be more crucial than ever. Their Bee Friendly initiative is a perfect example of how they are already creating, enhancing and monitoring wildlife habitats on the open spaces they manage. Meadfleet work closely with Buglife, the UK’s leading insect charity to help ensure the success of their campaign.
Meadfleet have committed to planting:
- 30,000m2 of meadow to try and replace some of what has been lost in the UK (97% of all wildflower meadows since the 1930s)
- 1km of new hedgerow including native shrub and tree species to provide nectar in spring, berries in autumn and natural habitats for birds and mammals
- 70,000 new bulbs in a mix of species which provide nectar over many months
Additionally, Meadfleet are engaging their customers in the initiative via a range of communications, resources and giveaways including 1000’s of bee hotels and wildlife friendly seeds.
Last year, the campaign was recognised by CIRIA, winning Pollinator of The Year in the Big Biodiversity Challenge Awards.
Paul Cassidy, Ecology and Conservation Manager at Meadfleet said:
“At Meadfleet we are focussed on taking a responsible approach to open space management. With thousands of acres of open space in our care we are focussed on maximising biodiverse habitat opportunities to support our nation’s wildlife. Our aim is to create a legacy of sustainable green spaces for our customers and future generations. We are delighted that our bee friendly project has been shortlisted in the Business Green Leaders Awards, recognising our efforts to significantly increase pollinator habitat and resources.”
Buglife’s Director of Fundraising and Communications, Paul Hetherington commented:
“It’s commendable to see a management company going above and beyond to help support vital pollinating insects by providing additional habitats and resources whilst engaging and educating their customers throughout the campaign ( . . . ) If only other management companies would take a leaf from the Meadfleet book we could be more confident of a sustainable future for our pollinators.”