We’re inviting children and families to join us this February half team to get buzzy with a whole hive of activities that will teach you all about the role of bees in supporting the region’s natural habitats as part of our Beelines North East activity days.
The free interactive family days are delivered in partnership with Northumberland Wildlife Trust as part of the Beelines North East project, which will see a network of 45 nectar-rich public sites created across the region, with the aim of planting 2,500 trees, 25,000 bulbs and creating 18 hectares of grassland to enable pollinators to thrive all over the North East.
Our Beelines North East activity days are taking place on:
Tuesday 22 February
Nuns Moor Park (we’ll be located near the Bike Garden)
Thursday 24 February
Walker Park (near the YMCA cafe and play park. Please note: there are currently no toilet facilities in Walker Park)
Friday 25 February
Exhibition Park (outside our Urban Green Cafe)
Just look out for our Urban Green Newcastle gazebo.
The sessions will help children, young people and their families learn more about plants, pollinators and their conservation whilst enjoying an interactive springtime spotter trail where they can investigate the signs of spring that are appearing in our parks, plus we’ll have creative crafting activities and face painting!
These are drop-in sessions so there’s no need to book a space. Do please wrap up warm on the day.
Rachel Faichnie, our Beelines North East Education Officer who will be leading the activity days, said: “We often take the natural world for granted, never really understanding how these complex habitats evolve and thrive thanks to wildlife like bees.
“Through our Beelines North East activity days, we’re aiming to show people why bees and other pollinators are so important for the future of our parks, allotments, and green spaces. It’s also a great way to connect more young people with nature through fun, outdoor education sessions.”
In addition to the activities in Newcastle’s parks during February half term, Rachel is also running an outdoor education programme for schools. Designed for children aged five to eleven, the four different sessions support curriculum learning. Children can become park explorers for the day and find existing pollinator habitats. They can also make their own bee hotel to help create new homes for bees.
Rachel continued: “Beelines North East will provide more opportunities for young people to discover and interact with nature, whilst also enhancing our city’s pollinators through habitat creation and regeneration.”
About Beelines North East
Urban Green Newcastle and Northumberland Wildlife Trust were awarded £697,800 from Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund to deliver Beelines North East.
Barbara Hooper, Director of Parks and Allotments for Urban Green Newcastle, said: “In recent years habitat loss has been a major contributing factor to the decline in the numbers of pollinators like bees and butterflies. Our parks provide real opportunities to encourage and support these vital pollinators, and enable them to thrive in our region.”
Elaine More, Living Landscapes Project Manager for Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: “Connectivity of habitat across urban areas is of vital importance for pollinators so they can move around, forage, and reproduce. We aim to work with local communities, especially young people, to create a strong network or ecologically diverse sites on people’s doorsteps where pollinators can thrive, creating a legacy once funding comes to an end.”
One of the 45 nectar-rich public sites being created as part of the Beelines North East project will be within Exhibition Park’s new blossom display, which is part of the National Trust’s Blossom Together project. The new spring blossom display will bloom for the first time in 2022, providing park users with a quiet place for reflection, peace and enjoyment.