TO MARK the 150th anniversary of the British Beekeepers Association, new trees have been planted in Wokingham.
Wokingham Town Council deputy mayor, Robert Comber, joined David Geen, President of the Wokingham and District Beekeepers’ Association (W&DBKA) for the event, held at the King George V Playing Field on Goodchild Road.
Founded in 1874, the charity was established in London-based and hive-minded people let it grow across the country.
It now represents around 30,000 beekeepers, and supports education around honey bees, while campaigning to raise awareness of threats to pollinators.
As part of its year-long celebrations, the BBKA has gifted each of its 75 local associations with a tree to be planted in their apiaries.
Each has been carefully chosen to provide a food source for honey bees, bumble bees and other species.
The BBKA says this will be a busy year as they fight to tackle increasing threats to native bees – including the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and the alarming growth in numbers of the highly destructive Asian Hornet, an invasive species which has the potential to cause huge damage to British honey bee populations and the wider ecology.
Wokingham Town Mayor Cllr Robert Comber said: “The Town Council have worked with the local Wokingham and District branch of the British Beekeepers’ Association for many years, collaborating on many projects as well as Wokingham in Bloom initiatives across the town. It’s wonderful to have partners with such expert knowledge and enthusiasm on our doorstep.
“The new Alder tree in King George V Playing Fields not only provides food for the bees but helps us improve the biodiversity within the park.”
For more on the beekeepers association, log on to: https://www.bbka.org.uk