Bee Collective

I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of an excellent project this week - the Bee Collective. Based a stone's throw from Victoria Station and sponsored by the Victoria Business Improvement District, the project is the brainchild of Caroline Birchall, who works at Natural England on landscape ecology in the capital.

Caroline Birchall introduces the project

At the heart of the project is a cooperative honey extraction facility. Honey extraction is a messy business and requires a large and expensive piece of kit, so many bee keepers struggle to extract their own honey at home. The Bee Collective facility allows London beekeepers to extract the golden stuff in return for a share of the honey, or money if they prefer.

The extraction facility

And here's the best bit - in collaboration with Capital Bee, the project aims to promote the creation of areas of bee forage in the capital. So when you extract your honey, you know you are supporting additional habitat for your bees.