The Friends of Buxton Station (FoBS) worked with a group of primary school students to commemorate World Bee Day.

The milestone is celebrated annually across the world on 20 May to spread awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinators. 

As part of the town’s Wild Week activities, which sees local young people engage in nature-based education programmes, pupils from Buxton Junior School got creative and painted a bundle of smooth pebbles in the colours of local bumblebees, to help them learn more about their insect friends.

Guided by Frances Sussex, their Wild Week guru, the youngsters learnt all about how Buxton is home to the six most common bumblebees (buff-tailed, white-tailed, red-tailed, garden, common carder and tree) and is very lucky to provide a home for one of the UK’s rarest, the Bilberry bumblebee, found only in cooler, hilly areas like Buxton.

The pebbles, generously donated by Nigel Hanshaw from local builders’ and plumbers’ merchants Markovitz Limited, were coloured to look just like bumblebees before being taken by FoBS for display in their Japanese Garden, as part of their vibrant Buxton Garden Trail entry.

Dave Carlisle, chair of FoBS, said: “We love our bumblebees and are so glad that Buxton Junior School pupils do too. Through Frances, they have become bee spotters, learning what bees look like and understanding their needs and the threats they face, before creating their arty striped tributes. We shall display them with pride.”

Ros Carter, headteacher at Buxton Junior School, said: “As part of their commemorations for World Bee Day, year 6 were lucky enough to have a visit from Frances to talk to them about bumblebees. They took part in lots of practical activities and discovered interesting facts to add to their research for their written report.”

Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Friends of Buxton Station via their Facebook page.