The Harrogate in Bloom ‘Rooting For Harrogate’ campaign has 10,000 new recruits thanks to bee whizz Joanne Feltrup at Harrogate Water.
Beekeeper Jo has installed her hive in the grounds of the Harrogate Spring bottling facility on Harlow Moor Road.
Jo, who works as a microbiologist for Harrogate Water, said: It is the perfect location, in a quiet spot of greenery, surrounded by wild flowers and trees.
Bees play a vital role in the environment but sadly populations are in decline all over the UK, so it is wonderful to find a brilliant site outside my own office.
Jo, a member of Bradford Beekeeping Society, studied environmental conservation at Bangor University, where she also kept honey bees and is now studying for her masters at The University of York. She is addressing the impact of global warming on bumble bee species in the UK.
Harrogate Water managing director James Cain said: We are delighted to welcome Jo’s bees to our site and to support the essential contribution beekeepers make to the natural environment. It’s terrific that the bees have arrived in time for Harrogate in Bloom and the ‘Rooting for Harrogate’ campaign, which we are supporting.
Harrogate was a Britain in Bloom gold winner last year and is now competing for the Champion of Champions award against Aberdeen, Elswick in Lancashire, Hillsborough in Northern Ireland, Oldham, Portishead in Somerset and St Peter Port, Guernsey.
All the finalists will be judged on environmental responsibility, community participation and horticultural excellence. Judging takes place on 1 August 2017.
