This blog documents the story of the Bee Limerick Group and their quest to introduce honey bees back into the city centre of Limerick. Bee Limerick along with its partners are also involved in planting native Irish flowers, shrubs and trees to create a resilient urban ecology.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Bee Limerick and Limerick City Biodiversity Network

Our bees are now well established in Limerick City - so the next step is making sure they have enough to eat, especially over the leaner months of early spring and late autumn. So Bee Limerick have decided to get involved in an exciting project of expanding biodiversity areas within the city to increase the bees foraging areas ....as well as bringing floral splashes to our city.

Biodiverity planted flower bed with King John's castle in the background

We have a little 'growing' revolution happening here in Limerick  : ) with lots of community gardens springing up throughout the city and supplying veg and fruit for local people. The planting of flowers, trees and shrubs are a continuous food source for other city residents, namely the local ecology. Earlier this year the Limerick Biodiversity Network secured its first piece of land along Clancy Strand to plant native flowers, schrubs and trees to increase the city's ecological resilience. The project is not just a draw for local butterflies and bumblebees as many people are being drawn to the area to take photos and enjoy the amazing floral displays. It is the plan to erect an information board describing the various plants, their ecologival values and the range of biodiversity they attract and support.

So Bee Limerick will work alonside Limerick Biodiversity Network and its partners Green Limerick  to build on this energy and roll out the project across the city in 2012. This will see waste land, under used and overgrown green areas within the city converted into ecological habitats by planting native flowers, shrubs and trees. We hope, over time a network of planted areas will begin to spring up around the city supporting a diverse range of flowering, fruiting and seeding plants such as wild Irish flowers, native apple trees and herbs. Any planting regime will be developed in collaboration with community groups and the local authority and integrated with the various other environmental initiatives being created through the Green Limerick platform, including the Bee Limerick initiative.
So if we get the community to plant in their own areas, the bees will pollinate the plants and together (bees and people) we can make Limerick City honey. We envisage a city-wide biodiverity walk to be enjoyed by community and visitors.

It is important to encourage schools and local communities to get involved from the beginning  by selecting sites to incorporate into the biodiversity network and in collaboration with Limerick City Biodiversity Network and Green Limerick, design a suitable planting scheme for the area in order to submit a detailed proposal to the city council. These projects will encourage a greater sense of civic responsibility and pride at a local level by giving communities the means to support and maintain urban ecology and beautify their own areas.

‘This is really about devolving some planning and management of green areas to local commnity groups and giving them a sense of ownership, which in time will generate a collective effort that contributes to the beautifying and betterment of the city as a whole.’ says Diarmuid Neilan of Green Limerick.

So if you’d like to take part in this project, do contact the Limerick City Biodiversity Network at limerickbiodiversity@gmail.com

or visit Green Limerick face book page for project updates and up coming events
http://www.facebook.com/GreenLimerick

bee Limerick initiative
http://beelimerick.blogspot.com/