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A conservation project at a sewage works has created an unexpected haven for one of England’s rarest bumblebees.
Thames Water Long Reach, near Marsh Street North, Dartford, has become an unlikely home for some of the insects.
Staff at the works have been working away not only on Kent’s water, but also boosting the numbers of the Shrill carder bees, along with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
In 2017, the two teamed up for the trust’s Making a Buzz for the Coast project, which aims to safeguard rare bee populations by restoring and creating habitats for them across 135 miles of the Kent coast from Dartford to Deal. To create a home fit for rare bees, the company designated 2.5 hectares of the sewage works to grow grassland and wildflowers, which are ideal habitats for bees and other pollinators.
Thames Water nature reserve manager Karen Sutton said: “At this company, we provide an essential service and partnering with the Trust is a fantastic example of the additional work we do to benefit the communities we serve and enhance biodiversity in the natural environment.
“This project has not only helped the bees at Long Reach but improved where our colleagues work.
“They can take real pride in knowing they have made a difference for these rare bees and can enjoy the benefits of the grassland and wildflowers they help to look after.”
Eight sewage technicians and other staff who are responsible for maintaining the site have been involved in habitat maintenance and regularly attending volunteer surveys to count the numbers of bees at the facility.
At the start of the project, members of the Trust gave an education workshop so staff could easily identity and track the growing population.
Graham Hills, who is manager of the Dartford site, said: “You wouldn’t expect rare bees at a sewage works but that’s what we now have in abundance at Long Reach.
“Our site team have been involved from the start, planting flowers and bushes and it’s been great to see the fruits of their efforts.”
