This month, Lancaster University Bee Keepers (LUBK) welcomed two new colonies of locally bred honeybees into the University's Ecohub - a dedicated space on campus for student and staff sustainable agriculture and biodiversity projects.

Members of the public were invited to find out more about the University’s bees at 'Bees at the EcoHub' - a free event and open to all, including lunch and an opportunity to visit the new Eco Hives site.

The event, which took place on Tuesday 3rd July, also offered a talk about bees and the importance of pollination by Dr Philip Donkersley (Lancaster Environment Centre). An exhibition called ‘Telling the Bees’ was open in the EcoHub barn and there was an opportunity to view the site.

Lancaster University Bee Keepers are a small group of Lancaster University staff who managing the campus apiary.

Dr Nadia Mazza, a Senior Lecturer in Pure Mathematics, is chair of LUBK and Non-executive Director of Lancaster Beekeepers (British Beekeepers' Association local branch) which covers most of the Morecambe Bay area and beyond.

She said: “It's so important we protect our bees, they are essential to pollination. Without them, we would need to hand pollinate all our crops, which would cost so much that your fruit and vegetables would become a luxury item. They are also invaluable for biodiversity.”

Green Lancaster project coordinator Darren Axe said: “It’s really exciting that we now have bees on campus. They are massively important to the environment and it is a pleasure to be able to have them on campus.

“A big thank you to The Bee Centre for providing the bees. We’re now inviting people to find out more about the project and we’re really looking forward to welcoming them onto campus.”

For more information on the event, go to the Green Lancaster Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2150463698534972/ or contact GreenLancaster on 01524 593681.