Dress as a bee to help break world record at Heaton Park

An attempt on a new World Record for the most people dressed as bees anywhere on the planet will be held in Heaton Park on Saturday 29 June, when the Manchester Festival of Nature (MFoN) creates a massive buzz.

There will be big bees, small bees, bee families, bees from businesses, pub bees, community bees and people just wearing black and yellow jumpers, from all corners of Manchester.

A special bee tram will be running on the Metrolink line stopping at Heaton Park on 29 June, and anyone can join the swarm, knowing that they will be highlighting the plight of these wonderful pollinating insects, which are having a hard time as the climate changes.

 

 

MFoN committee member Alan Wright said: “Bees and other insects are part of the circle of life, pollinating plants, getting rid of smaller insects and providing food for larger creatures.

“While dressing up as a bee is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon, it also carries that message that we need to stop their decline right now. The situation is critical, and we need to act before other species become extinct.”

MFoN will be an opportunity for people to get involved in a number of interesting activities but, at the same time, learn about the environment and how the top conservation bodies are working to help wildlife on their doorsteps.

The biggest groups in nature conservation have already pledged to be there; The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire Manchester and North Merseyside, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, The RSPB, The National Trust, City of Trees, The Conservation Volunteers, The Royal Horticultural Society, The Canal and River Trust, Action for Conservation, Sustrans, Chester Zoo, Manchester Museum and Manchester Metropolitan University along with Manchester City Council and its Heaton Park team.

Community and volunteering groups are expected to attend too, offering an insight into the amazing work bees do, every stall will have activities for visitors and there will be plenty to do for both young and old.

Activities planned so far include performances bringing to life the enchanting book The Lost Words, by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. There will also be a visit by the Bogtastic Van giving people a real feeling of what life is like on the moors.

There will be bushcraft, forest school skills, natural crafts, ecotherapy, wild flower planting, building a bug hotel, woodland walks, tree and plant identifications, den building and a chance to enter a bog.

Alan, who is Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Communications Manager, said: “Organisations in conservation are putting a lot of resources and love into telling the people of Manchester just how lucky they are to have such wonderful wildlife on their doorsteps.

“This will be a huge opportunity to showcase just how important wildlife is in the city. The event will have a bee-theme and it will be a hive of activity with families getting involved in all sorts of activities from guided walks to bushcraft to mindfulness.”

You can support the Manchester Festival of Nature raising money for this and future festivals at:

• www.crowdfunder.co.uk/manchester-festival-of-nature-mfon