bulbs set to brighten national landscape and uk sites

Holcim UK has supported a project aimed at boosting the population of bees and other pollinators across the UK.

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The leading sustainable building solutions provider has teamed up with the North Wessex Downs Landscape Trust to provide tens of thousands of spring flowering bulbs.

More than 60,000 bulbs were purchased by the trust thanks to a grant from Holcim and shared with community groups across the area to plant during October and early November.

These included Crocus, Grape Hyacinths, Star of Bethlehem, Bluebells and Snowdrops.

The bulbs will flower in the upcoming springtime and were chosen as they are good at attracting bees and other pollinators.

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Holcim also sent out 1,000 bulbs to its teams as part of its own drive to help create places for nature at 
every one of its 200 plus UK sites.

And its Torr Quarry in Somerset went even further and purchased 10,000 bulbs - 7,500 were shared with three local community groups in Downhead, Cranore and Nunney and the remainder planted within the quarry boundary.

Tom Redfern, Head of Sustainability at Holcin UK, said: “We were delighted to support this vital project which empowers communities in this national landscape to create vital biodiversity for our bees and pollinators.

“A third of all food is pollinator dependent and when you think that the wild bee population has reduced by a third in the last 30 years that really demonstrates the type of positive action we need to take to address what is an ongoing nature crisis.

“We launched our very first company nature strategy last year which laid out how we aimed to support a nature positive future and how we could help protect, restore and enhance our natural environment.

“As well as seeking to support communities, as we have in North Wessex, we are also committed to providing places for nature at our sites - from simple flower gardens to bug hotels to planting woodlands and hedgerows and creating wetlands.”

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Dr Jemma Batten, director of the North Wessex Downs Landscape Trust, said: “The Landscape Trust was delighted to work with Holcim to provide bee-friendly bulbs to communities across the Downs and beyond, and look forward to seeing the results of our “Buzzing in the North Wessex Downs” campaign this spring and for years to come.”

The North Wessex Downs is a nationally important landscape, characterised by rare chalk grassland and crystal clear streams, rolling downland and valleys.It straddles Wiltshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire, and is the third largest designated national landscape in the UK.