A PROJECT to encourage adults and children to grow plants to attract bees has begun in Richmond.

The Transition Richmond Yorkshire (TRY) group organised the event with Richmond Methodist Primary School pupils, which saw them creating a beeline – a line of plants and flowers that will attract bees – at the Friary Gardens, Richmond, on Thursday, April 25.

Sally Reckert, from TRY, said bees have been struggling because of poor weather and the over-use of pesticides but are essential to crop pollination.

She said: “The concern is the difficulties that bees are having at the moment.

“The amount of concreted areas that we have around now does not help bees because it cuts off their habitats – they can’t see the boundaries between areas of plants and flowers the way we do.

“They see area that they like and stay there because they do not have the energy to cross the concrete areas to get to another space with different plants.

“The idea of beelines is to create corridors between the concrete areas so bees can move to different food sources.”

Although the wet weather meant there were not bees to be found on the day, Mrs Reckert said the children were keen to get involved in helping the environment.

Two more beeline workshops will take place on June 8 and August 31, with a bee survey, planting and beeline workshops.

TRY is working with Richmond Town Council and Richmondshire District Council on the project.

Contact Mrs Reckert on sally@transitionrichmond.org.