Wirral Country Park in Thurstaston has been declared the “bee’s knees” when it comes to creating an environment that encourages pollinators to flourish.
It has been officially named as one of only 23 places in the country recognised as a Bees’ Needs Champion by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The accolade was announced as part of a government campaign aimed at encouraging and inspiring the public, businesses and farmers to create pollinator-friendly areas.
And is if that news isn’t sweet enough, the work of the aptly named partner organisation, Bee Wirral, in establishing and nurturing beehives at an old orchard site in the park will soon see Wirral Country Park’s own honey being put on sale at the visitor centre.
Wirral Country Park first became a Bees’ Needs Champion back in 2021 for its meadow management works.
The latest recognition is a result of the additional projects being undertaken in the park, including extending the managed wildflower meadows by three acres, and installing new surfaced paths.
More elm trees have been planted along the Wirral specifically aimed at supporting the return and proliferation of the White-Letter Hairstreak butterfly. Staff have also created more brick-built barbecue stands in the park in the hope of reducing the number of damaging grassland fires.
Cllr Liz Grey, Chair of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee, said: “The team at Wirral Country Park do the most amazing work.
“I love visiting the park regularly and seeing now they manage the areas for the benefit of nature, but also for visitors.
“I am always impressed by the results; the pollinator areas particularly just get better and better. They are so deserving of this national recognition.”
In the autumn there will be works in the visitor centre car park that will include creating metre-wide wildflower borders and managed hedgerows providing a ‘pollinator corridor’, linking up the beehives with the wildflower grasslands, where staff and volunteers undertake meadow walks with visiting schools and other organised groups.
