An Urban Beekeeper Interview

An Urban Beekeeper Interview

By Emma Kajiyama

I live in the suburbs of Manchester, where there are still many pockets of green spaces. This can be seen as good news for the local bees.  Honeybees (Apis mellifera) can thrive and flourish in urban areas if an adequate amount of pollinator-friendly gardens and parks are present. 

Urban beekeeping has been spreading across cities such as London and Manchester, and with it has spread the love for bees.  I myself have developed a great fondness for these important little creatures, who, along with their gentle furry relatives, the bumblebee (Bombus), are hugely essential in pollinating and producing many of the foods we eat. 

I sat down to have a chat with an urban beekeeper in my hometown to talk about the ups and downs of beekeeping in an urban area.

Urban Nurture: Why did you decide to become a beekeeper?

Lorna Montrose: I have always loved gardening and so have been aware of honeybees, bumblebees and their role in gardens.  This developed into a keen interest and I just find them very appealing. It was actually by chance that I heard about a beekeeping course at Heaton Park.  They were offering two days training for £145.00.  It does seem a very expensive hobby but I became even more attracted to it after a few days of complex learning! 
I was also initially drawn to the idea of making local honey, but now I find the whole process so rewarding.  Not only does it contribute to their conservation and our own survival, but just sitting in the garden, watching them is very therapeutic.  They are always busy doing something!

UN: What kind of training did you have to do?

LM: I joined 'The Manchester District & Beekeepers Association' (mdbka) where they have a training course twice a month, between March and October when the bees are active, to work in an apiary for two hours with experienced beekeepers.  The courses they run are very busy and popular so if anyone is interested to start, keep your eyes peeled for vacancies. The mdbka run 3 to 4 courses a year, I think you can find more information on their website. http://www.mdbka.com/home.html

UN: Have you found there are many beekeepers in Manchester?

LM: Yes, I believe there are around 254 registered beekeepers in Manchester. You meet a lot of them through the mdbka. You can also find lots of beekeepers on allotments.  The more you find, the more you realise there are many beekeepers dotted around the city.

UN: Do you have any advice for people wanting to start beekeeping?

LM: I think the main advice I can give is that you have a responsibility to do it well.  It is not for the faint-hearted.  I currently have one hive which is dying, and which I have to let die. They have Nosema, which is a parasitic fungal disease, common in adult honeybees. I have to experiment ways in which to help my bees, as infections such as this one don't always follow the rulebook.
My other advice for would-be beekeepers is to join a beekeeper group, join an allotment or speak to private beekeepers. Everyone is always happy to help each other. Always watch, learn, talk, listen and ask questions! Find out about all areas and then, make an informed decision. There are lots of info to be found in books, videos and online.  It is an expensive hobby, as getting second hand equipment opens up the danger of infection. A new hive can cost £250.00 and it is advisable to have two, just in case one fails.
Even if you have a full-time job, it is possible to have beehives. It is a seasonal hobby so it can be very relaxing.  Between October - March, the hives are closed. So really, you are just busy for half a year. 

UN: What are your future hopes as a beekeeper?

LM: I have kept bees for 18 months now and am now a Deputy at the mdbka. They have been very supportive, offering benefits such as free tests for diseases.  I would like to continue to learn, be more proficient and be able to recognise problems at the root and all this comes with experience.  I can sum up my experience with beekeeping - 'when it's bad, it's very bad, but when it's good it's fantastic!' I absolutely love it. 

UN: Final question, are you happy for people to contact you to ask questions about bees?

LM: Absolutely! I'm very happy to help anyone interested in bees and welcome anyone who would like to have a look at the hives and ask questions.

If you do wish to learn more about our lovely little pollinators, please contact Lorna with any bee-related enquiries:

Lorna.montrose@gmail.com  /  Kajidoodles@hotmail.com

Further information about honeybees and bumblebees can be found:

http://www.bbka.org.uk/
http://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/

Chorlton Community Wildlife & Edible Garden Interview

Chorlton Community Wildlife & Edible Garden Interview

By Emma Kajiyama

 

Monday 20th June 2015

This morning I headed off to my first interview for The Urban Nurture Project and went to see the lovely folk at the Chorlton Community Wildlife & Edible Garden.  This initiative is headed by the minister of the adjacent Methodist Church, Deacon Dave Gallimore.

A few months back, I had volunteered at the Chorlton Methodist church garden, helping them to create a wildlife habitat haven. This was "in response to the recent 'state of nature report' which was launched by Sir David Attenborough, produced by 25 of the leading wildlife and conservation charities, which highlighted how much our wildlife is suffering and in decline". (Chorltoncommunitywildlifegarden.org.uk, not dated)

Fig. 2 the wildflower bed behind the church.

 (Photo: Emma Kajiyama, 2015)

 



It is wonderful to see the progress the garden has made, aided by the tireless energy and enthusiasm of those who have worked on it.  Today as I arrived, there were already volunteers digging and planting, all of whom were very willing to express their enjoyment about working on a wildlife garden.

 

Urban Nurture: What was the motivation to start up such a project?

 

Dave Gallimore: It was in response to the State of Nature report in May 2013, which declared that the condition of the British wildlife was far worse than previously thought. So I wondered, what can I do? We had an overgrown piece of land next to the church which was separated by a wire fence.  It was wild but a bit too wild and unmanageable, not fit for the wildlife habitats we had planned.  We decided to develop the side of the church for the community, the wildlife and to create an edible garden. We also aimed to set up habitats for various wildlife such as hedgehogs, bees and birds. 

 

Fig.3 the previously unused and overgrown piece of land has been transformed.

Wildlife cameras have been set up to help educate the public about the

importance of wildlife.

(Photo: Emma Kajiyama, 2015)

 

Derek (Volunteer): It was like a pebble in the pond, we hope it will inspire others. 

 

UN: It has definitely inspired me. How have you funded it?

 

Dave Gallimore: We initially received £500 from the church to get started. We then applied for two grants - one was a cash grant from Manchester City Council, which we secured and received £1700.  This really helped cover the costs for our wildlife cameras, soil and plants. We then got an environmental grant of £500 from Nikwax who specialise in waterproofing products. In all, the soil was very costly as we needed 32 tonnes of it!

 

Derek: We got the logs (which line the borders of the plant beds) from a wood co-operative, as we try to use recycled materials wherever possible. And our bug houses are made from recycled pallets from the conservative club across the road.

 

UN: For anyone starting out a wildlife garden, do you have any advice? Especially for people like me who are new to gardening?

 

Volunteers: There is such a large amount of help now from the internet and tv. It is a case of learning as you go along with wildlife gardening, but it's great to always learn something new. When you are creating something and are involved with something as a group, I think it inspires others. 

 

UN: You do all sound very motivated by this project.  What have you enjoyed the most?

 

Derek: It has been really great to design the bughouses.  I have never done it before but being creative with it has no right or wrong. I'm inspired to do more at home, there's a space in my garden which is getting a bit too wild! It has been really interesting to learn more about wildlife, as I started from the very beginning of the project. I saw it advertised in The Ramblers and from there I've been doing bug projects, creating habitats and helping the restoration of the area.

 

Kim (Volunteer): It helps to take the stress out of gardening. With wildlife gardens, you don't have to be precious about not letting things grow wild. Of course, you still need to trim the trees to let the light through and keep nettles in check, but it's very stress-free.

 

Derek: Anyone can just come into the garden to sit and relax. You come away with a different frame of mind.

 

Fig. 4 the wildlife garden has an abundance of

pollinator-friendly flowers and edible plants.

(Photo: Emma Kajiyama, 2015)

 

UN: So what are important/essential features of a wildlife garden?

 

All: It must have basic needs like food, water, shelter and places for wildlife to breed. Don't use pesticides and ensure there are enough berries for the birds and soft fruits for the animals (and humans!).

 

Fig. 5 a clean, shallow birdbath is not just aesthetically

pleasing but also provides fresh water for birds and

wild animals to drink, wash and play.

(Photo: Emma Kajiyama, 2015)

 

UN: Last question, are you on the lookout for volunteers still?

 

All: Yes! There is always so much to do. And volunteers really make it vibrant, it helps to spur us on and make progress with it. We are always looking for volunteers.

 

 

Fig. 6 some of the lovely people involved in

this initiative. (Photo: Emma Kajiyama, 2015)

 

 

If you do wish to work on this wonderful project, they are very welcoming bunch.  (They even have the very much needed tea and biscuit breaks!)

 

Please contact Kim with any volunteering enquiries:

 

kimski@btinternet.com

 

or pop into the garden to have a chat with someone, Monday 10am - 12pm or the 1st Saturday of every month 10am - 1pm at:

 

Chorlton Methodist Church,

Manchester Road

Chorlton

M21 9JG

 

Meanwhile, do feel free to have a look round the garden whenever you like, and follow them on Twitter - @WildlifeGarden2

and visit their website for more information: http://www.chorltoncommunitywildlifegarden.org.uk/

 

I wish them all the best on the future of this inspirational project!