Gardeners in the Burnham-On-Sea area are being urged to find out more about how to attract bees and butterflies to their gardens during a free event this month.
Sanders Garden World is holding a Bee and Butterfly Festival from this Saturday (July 16th) until July 31st to promote how important the insects are to the well-being of the environment.
The free event is designed to raise awareness of pollinating insects and generating a food source to wild animals.
Peter Burks, General Manager of Sanders Garden World, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Bees and butterflies are gardeners’ friends so we will be helping our visitors learn how to encourage these friendly insects into their gardens.”
“We will be highlighting bee and butterfly-friendly plants that help encourage pollinating insects into gardens. We’re supporting the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) during the event and are helping raise awareness of their work.”
The centre is also backing the Butterfly Conservation’s annual Butterfly Count. Peter explained: “To take part, simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during a bright, preferably sunny day from July 24th until August 1st. Records are welcome from anywhere such as parks, gardens, fields and forests. Your count is useful even if you do not see any butterflies.”
Anyone can take part, but children aged 16 and under will need a parent or guardian to submit their record. People can visit www.bigbutterflycount.org during July and August to submit their results.
During the Bee and Butterfly Festival, Sanders Garden World will be handing out complimentary children’s activity sheets and offering free advice.
