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In 2009 Stroud Bee Guardian Town was launched

Stoud became a “Bee Guardian Town” in order to:

• Protect and enhance bee diversity around the Town,
• Raise awareness and educate the community about the importance of bee diversity, including bumblebees, solitary bees and other pollinators
Sign located on each of the main roads into Stroud. Photos: centre - Stroud Major John Marjoram, left/ right side BGF co-founders Jessie Jowers and Carlo Montesanti.
• Improve the health, mentally and physically, of Stroud’s people by encouraging them to participate in the “Stroud Bee Guardian Town”, so that they will visit, enjoy and appreciate the Green Spaces and footpaths managed by Stroud Town Council.
• Lead the way in protecting bee diversity within a town.
The Bee Guardian Foundation worked with the Town council, community groups, businesses and schools to realise the project.
Nest and Habitat
Artificial Nesting boxes were built and installed around the town, existing nesting sites were recorded, enhanced and protected and bee friendly plants were introduced.
- 350 wooden bee houses for cavity nesting bees were built by the community of Stroud to be used as a research tool.

- 868 bee houses were built within community groups and at the Stroud Festival of Nature and put up around Stroud.

- Stroud High School designed and built 15 large bee houses in their Royal Society Funded project –Bee Inventive; Designing the perfect bee house.

- Green Spaces were surveyed by volunteers to find pre-existing bee habitats

- Standing trees were cut to a safe 1m height and then were drilled to create cavities for solitary bees

- Nesting sites of mining bees were actively protected by the town council.
Governance

Stroud Town Council supported the project both financially and practically, managing the town green spaces in as bee friendly a way as possible:
- protecting pre-existing habitats and creating new ones

- planting bee friendly plants

- changing mowing times and methods

- committing to not to using pesticides and minimising the use of herbicides
Awareness and Engagement
bee girls
Inventive and creative methods were used to excite, engage and involve the community.
Allotment / garden visits
Free bee houses were delivered to allotment holders and gardeners who had the opportunity to learn more about bee diversity and how they could improve their areas to attract more bees.
Workshops
17 workshops took place in Stroud engaging young and old. In total 221 children and adults learnt about the importance of bee diversity and the varied nesting habits of different species, how some bees communicate through dance and how to create different bee habitats..
Talks
In total 5 talks titled “Don’t call me honey! Bees the bigger picture " were delivered to groups around Stroud.
Education and Training
BGF’s approach is both creative and engaging. BGF believe that it is important to engage students who are not normally interested in science and that the way to involve them is to use art, music and dance as ways to put a message across.

Throughout the project BGF worked with all age groups from pre-school to University students.
Waldorf college – Request by the college BGF wrote and led an 8 week National Open College Network (NOCN) Course for 16 year olds. Th course combined Science and Art to educate around the subject of bees. The students actively took part in recording, and improving bee nesting sites around the town.
Stroud High School – BGF applied for funding from the Royal Society on behalf of Stroud High School. The project Bee Inventive: Designing the perfect bee house, was selected as one of the best school project in the UK. The students were invited to exhibit their work at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition in London where they engaged with about 5000 people over three days and made over 600 bee houses. In the project students designed a bee house to test which materials are suitable for making bee houses for cavity nesting bees.
Media

Newspapers – Regular articles in local newspapers Stroud News and Journal and Stroud Life

Local radio –
2 interviews on Stroud FM
3 interviews on BBC Gloucester Radio

TV – Local ITV and BBC Points West coverage of the Stroud Bee Guardian Town Project.
Stroud Bee Guardian Town is an ongoing project that will continue to flourish over the next few years. It is also a project that we aim to replicate in other towns around the UK.
Supporters
We would like to thank:

Biodynamic Association – For their interest and encouragement at the very beginning
Communiversity – For helping to promote the project
Fred Wood Forestry – For donating locally sourced wood for making bee houses
Fresh ‘n’ Local – For providing a market stall during the Eco Fair
Kendrick St Deli – Who made and donated over 100 cupcakes decorated with bees and flowers to all the school children involved in the Eco Carnival.
Kings Owen – For providing access to the empty shop
Pulsin – For donating staff and delicious, healthy products that attracted humans to the project.
Social Enterprise Centre – Who have supported BGF from the beginning and have booked workshops, talks and have donated resources.
St Lawrence Church – Who helped to promote the project
Stroud Allotment Society – Who helped engage allotment holders from around the town.
Stroud in Bloom – Who have booked BGF displays and have promoted our work
Stroud Festival of Nature – For inviting us to be a part of the festival
Stroud Valleys Artspace – For support, materials, space and guidance throughout the project
Stroud Valleys Project – Who raised funds by selling BGF products in their Eco Shop, booked talks for members and put up bee houses in public spaces.
Walking the Land – For the most memorable, educational and beautiful walk
Waldorf College – Who requested the NOCN course for their students
And many more……..

But especially we would like to thank all the talented people who have offered their skills, knowledge and time and have taken part in the project.
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