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What’s the
Buzz at Argyll
Holidays
By Jackie McBurney, Environmental
Co-ordinator for Argyll Holidays Photo: Loch Lomond bluebells
pollinating insects on our parks, which
Argyll Holidays parks are situated in also led to us gaining bee friendly park
stunning locations in Argyll, Scotland status from David Bellamy.
and in recent years they have been
doing their bit to help bumblebees Which was the best method I hear you
and other pollinating insects with ask? The answer is both were successful
some great success stories. in producing bee friendly flowers. The
areas were tiered, with short manicured
Jackie McBurney, Environmental Co- lawn sections, next to areas which were
ordinator, explains why they decided to cut every three weeks in rotation in order
do more. to maintain the clovers, buttercups and
In 2018, the plight of bees all over the daisies, and the longer uncut areas
country hit the headlines, it was then we which produced Devil’s Bit Scabious,
decided we could do our bit to help. field buttercup and a plethora of field
flowers.
We set aside areas on our holiday parks
to fill with wildflowers for bees and other Next year’s project - continue planting for
pollinating insects. The parks combined, pollinators in our formal beds.
added an extra 322,804m² to the wild For the past fifteen years Argyll
areas already in place at the parks. Holiday Parks have taken
We experimented with areas, some we part in the David Bellamy
left to naturalise, others we broadcast Conservation Awards, which
with a mix of seed. Two seasons later, has led to all of the parks in the
group gaining the highest accolade of
we have a bumper crop of bees and Gold status.
Carder bee on miniature Rhododendron Stratheck field
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