"It was a delight to welcome children from neighbouring Caddington Village School, who showed great enthusiasm in building bumblebee hotels and getting stuck into planting bumblebee-friendly bulbs."
Tonia Tyler
Redrow Homes South Midlands has teamed up with Caddington Village School to support the conservation of bumblebees at its Caddington Woods development, through the creation of bee-friendly habitats.
As part of an ongoing relationship with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT), the development, which is situated in Chaul End, invited youngsters at Caddington Village School to help establish pollinator-friendly habitats across its grounds – to help boost the number of bumblebees, as well as other wildlife.
In addition to building bumblebee hotels aimed at providing a location for solitary bumblebees to nest, the group helped to plant Daffodil, Snowdrop and Hyacinth bulbs, which will bloom in spring.
The group also enjoyed a talk from the BBCT about how they can join the plight of the bumblebee in their own homes and at school, as well as a reading of Bumblebee Cottage, the latest in a series of books written by the sales director for Redrow Midlands, Pauline Turnbull, to help children understand more about moving home.
The initiative follows Redrow Homes South Midlands’ championing of biodiversity at Caddington Woods through adoption of an innovative ‘net gain’ approach. As part of this, Redrow Homes measured the ecological value of land prior to development, before taking steps to enhance this following the creation of new homes, amenities and green spaces.
Forming part of this activity, Redrow Homes has worked closely with the RSPB to manage and improve broadleaf woodland areas and their associated wildlife on the development, which was previously a 6,000-space car park. Along with the work to create bumblebee havens, this has helped to achieve a net positive core, meaning there has been a positive impact on biodiversity.
Tonia Tyler, sales director at Redrow Homes (South Midlands), said: “It was a delight to welcome children from neighbouring Caddington Village School, who showed great enthusiasm in building bumblebee hotels and getting stuck into planting bumblebee-friendly bulbs.
“At Redrow, we strive not only to create beautiful homes, but thriving communities, too. We understand that promoting the sustainability of natural habitats on our developments is integral to this, which is why we endeavour to support the wellbeing and success of future bumblebee colonies.
“It is through partnerships with organisations such as the BBCT and local schools that we can not only inform and empower our residents, but also ensure that our gardens and open spaces form part of a wider eco-friendly habitat that will be established for many years to come.”
Visitors to the Caddington Woods sales office can pick up their own copy of Bumblebee Cottage. The book focuses on two bumblebees looking for a new family home, and encourages children to learn more about nature and, in particular, the plight of the bumblebee.
For more information about Caddington Woods, please visit: www.redrow.co.uk/developments/caddington-woods-chaul-end or call 0158 278 8194.
