Let's Get Buzzing

Let's Get Buzzing is part of our Pollinator Action Plan. This policy aims to improve and protect green spaces for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and other wildlife.

There are over 1,500 species of insect pollinators in the UK. They play a vital role in the pollination of agricultural crops and wildflowers.

Improving habitats

We maintain approximately 260 hectares of grass in the area. Since 2019, we have reduced the cutting frequency of approximately 42 hectares of grass to improve habitats for wildlife and create wildflower meadow areas.

We are constantly trying to identify suitable green spaces to help improve areas for pollinators, wildlife and native plants. 

Our Let's Get Buzzing scheme aims to help you increase biodiversity by encouraging the creation of new wildflower meadows and planted green spaces in your neighbourhoods.

Can you help us?

If you have identified an area which may benefit from being managed better for nature, please forward your suggestions to parks@bathnes.gov.uk

Not all areas will be owned or managed by us, however, we would like to increase biodiversity and help tackle the climate and nature emergency by creating habitats for wildlife wherever we can.  

If you would like to tend a small area near your home to improve it for wildlife, please take a look at our Neighbourhood Nature Areas page.

Improving nature at home

Private gardens are also perfect places to help pollinators and other wildlife thrive.

The Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB provide a wide range of guidance materials to help you improve your gardens for wildlife.

Our Pollinator Action Plan

To find out more about our Pollinator Action Plan and the steps we are taking to improve habitats for pollinators, select a topic below.

Aims

We have several key aims as part of our Pollinator Action Plan:

• Contributing to the West of England Nature Recovery Network
• Managing wildflower grasslands and other habitats in Bath and North East Somerset to promote biodiversity
• Creating and enhancing habitats and wildlife corridors for pollinators where appropriate
• Encouraging community involvement in practical activities, events and the surveying and monitoring of pollinators
• Raising awareness of the plight of pollinators and the actions that are needed to help reverse species decline

Planning and development commitments

We have made several planning and development commitments to improve habitats:

• Supporting connectivity of pollinator habitats as part of the West of England Nature Recovery Network through the local plan and the planning process
• Supporting development and delivery of the West of England Joint Green Infrastructure Strategy
• Implementing the B&NES Green Infrastructure Strategy/Green Space Strategy

Parks and open space management

We are taking the following actions to improve habitats in parks and open spaces:

• Incorporating nectar-rich plants into formal planting schemes in parks and open spaces
• Providing information to support the creation of additional nectar-rich plantings at allotments and community growing spaces
• Managing highway verges to encourage wildflower growth
• Trialling a range of methods for creating wildflower-rich grassland in parks and open spaces, drawing on research and best practice; and working with research institutions
• Reducing the frequency of hedge-cutting where possible to promote flowering shrubs and provide cover for invertebrates
• Creating pollinator habitat by retaining dead wood and diversifying mowing regimes to create areas of long grass in parks and open spaces

To find out more about our maintenance and management of green space, visit our grass maintenance or hedge and shrub maintenance pages.

Highways management

We have adapted our highways management policies to improve habitats by taking the following actions:

• Reviewing the routine spraying of weeds in the highway
• Exploring options for more targeted weed treatment through research and staff training

Bathscape

We have helped to implement several projects as part of our work with the Bathscape partnership:

• Restoring and creating 12 wildflower meadows
• Developing a nursery facility for growing wildflowers from local provenance seed
• Increasing the amount of late nectar sources available to pollinators
• Surveying and monitoring butterflies, bees and other pollinators at key sites

Raising awareness

We have taken the following actions to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and habitat improvement:

• Supporting Festival of Nature and City Nature Challenge initiatives
• Using the Parks/Let's Get Buzzing logo on areas being managed for wildflowers
• Informing the public about the negative impacts of weed removal on biodiversity and promoting a conversation about alternative practices
• Promoting Parks web page information on sustainable management
• Establishing the Get Bath Buzzing Instagram account