TWO hands-on workshops in Lyme Regis will see participants building and taking home their own bee hotels.
The Boat Building Academy (BBA) and Turn Lyme Green are joining forces to help support pollinators through the Bee Friendly Lyme Regis Project.
Taking place at the BBA in Lyme Regis on Wednesday 4 November and Thursday 12 November, the workshops will give up to 10 participants per session the opportunity to learn practical woodworking skills while creating valuable habitat for solitary bees.
Under the guidance of academy tutors, participants will construct a cedar wood bee hotel to take home.
The session will include a demonstration of the routing process, followed by hands-on activities including drilling, assembling timber components, fitting Perspex viewing panels and applying protective finishes.
The morning will also include a tour of the academy and an opportunity to learn more about its renowned boatbuilding courses and community work.
Will Reed, director of the BBA, said: “Making things from wood and caring for the natural environment go hand in hand. We’re pleased to be working with Turn Lyme Green on a project that gives people the chance to learn new skills while making a positive contribution to local wildlife.”
The workshops form part of the Bee Friendly Lyme Regis Project, an initiative led by Turn Lyme Green to encourage residents, businesses and community groups to create a more pollinator-friendly environment across Lyme Regis.
While honey bees are well known, around 240 species of solitary bee are found in the UK. These gentle, highly effective pollinators play a vital role in supporting biodiversity and food production but often struggle to find suitable nesting sites.
Polly Benfield, from Turn Lyme Green's Bee Friendly Lyme Regis Project, said: “We are so pleased that the BBA is adding this course to their programme. We want to get as many bee hotels into local gardens, creating a corridor of habitats to support our solitary bees.”
As well as taking home their completed bee hotel, participants will receive information about the project, guidance on where best to position their bee hotel, what wildlife they can expect to attract and how to care for it over the years ahead.
An optional lunch will follow each workshop, providing an opportunity to meet fellow participants and learn more about the Bee Friendly Lyme Regis Project.
During the lunch, a representative from the project will give a short talk and answer questions about pollinators and how local people can help create a pollinator-friendly community.
The workshops run from 9am to 1pm and cost £85 per person. The optional lunch is available from 1pm to 2pm at an additional cost of £10.
Places are limited and early booking is recommended.
Since 2007, Turn Lyme Green has been promoting sustainable living and engaging the community in environmental issues in Lyme Regis.
For more information about the workshops, Turn Lyme Green or the BBA, email enquiries@turnlymegreen.co.uk or office@boatbuildingacademy.com.