Bumblebuzzing

The Great Bilberry Bumblebee Hunt

Markeaton Park, Derby, 12^th June 2021

We went bumblebee-watching, bumble-waiting and bumble-hoping. In this strange suddenly hot but-still-often-delayed summer there were a few bumbles about but not as many as we might have wished for. The Bilberries weren’t here: they are far more country-cousins than town bees. Further out than “country” Bombus monticola belong to the moors and upland villages of the Peaks. But places like Markeaton are gateways to the world of the high-country bees…walk through a park, enjoy the flowers, the butterflies, the bees…and next time you’re picnicking in the Peaks you might notice the bee that looks a bit different….

Here on the edge of Derby city, there were still bees about. And cheerful people! People following that wooden trail of carved posts, enjoying tongue length (? go and investigate Garden Bumblebees), wing beats (we had several 16 arm-beats a second and an unconfirmed 20….no comparison with a bumble’s 200). I was positioned at the end of this trail of questions, puzzles and discoveries. By the time they reached me, our bumblebee-hunters were ready to pause, to rest in the shade and chat, to draw their discoveries into big pictures of the bees they had seen, or hoped to see, or knew were there but had not yet seen…..

So we met the fabulous Markeaton Silver-winged Unicorn Bee. Like everyone before us, we didn’t meet the Camouflaged Bee because it is so good at what it does. We met fuzzy bees and friendly bees, Queen Bees and princess Bees, bees looking for pollen, bees loaded with pollen, bees nesting in wellies….

The Great Bilberry Bumblebee Hunt was an event organised by the Pollinating the Peaks project of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Look in on the BCT website or keep on Twitter eye on @BuzzingPeak for information on the next events

Meanwhile, sit back, relax and enjoy some of our artists’ work from Markeaton Park. There is a bigger gallery here on the @creepingtoad facebook page.

Bumblebee Lantern Workshops!

Bumblebee Lanterns!

a procession of buzzing excitements!

Public events in November

a bumble lantern row

balloon bumble colouring up

Do Bumblebees fly at night? Yes!

Do Bumblebees glow!Yes!

Or at least they will in the Bolsover Lantern Procession on Saturday 30^th November

Creeping Toad is working with the Bumblebee ConservationTrust’s Pollinating the Peaks Project  to make a set of bumblebee lanterns for the procession

Over several days we are aiming to make a whole colony of bumbles with lots of small personal lanterns ready to fly around a giant Queen (or two). There will be quick balloon bumbles ready to decorate. Or you could take a bit longer to make a small willow bumble or a willow pyrmid dorated with lots of bees and maybe some bee-friendlyflowers! Then there will be our big Queen Lanterns that we'll will need somehelp to make. 

Why not join us for a buzzing good time of willow, tissue, glue and laughter in Chesterfield? 

Find out a bit more about Bumblebees, as well! Maybe over the winter as our Bumbles sleep you could plan a bee-friendly garden for them to wake to in the spring?

willow lanterns need glue and tissue!

Lantern making

We have two days of lantern making workshops

Dates: Saturday 16^th

Sunday 17^th November

Place: At Loundsley Green Community Centre, Cuttholm Rd, Loundsley green, Chesterfield, S40 4QU

Times: 12 – 4pm

Cost, etc: this event is free. No experience is necessary - materials, help and guidance in lantern-making are all provided!

Children: should bring a grown up with them

Wear: clothes to get messy in!

decorate your lantern!

Make 1: your own small bumblebee or flower lanterns to carry in the procession

Make 2: help us make our large bumblebee queen lanterns

Can’t join the Procession: don’t worry! Make a bumblebee to light the winter evenings of your own home!

The Procession: organised by Junction Arts, this colourful event starts in the grounds of Bolsover Castle before heading through the streets of the town

Date: Saturday 30th November, 6 – 8pm

Meeting point: Bolsover Castle

What’s happening: Parade entry: 4pm
Lantern Competition: 4:30pm
Parade starts: 5pm
Carols at the Cenotaph: 5:45pm

Details: Bolsover Lanterns

come bumbling with us!

From grumblebees to bumblebears

 Past lavender and thyme,

By blue borage we roam,

Following scentways through the air,

Trails to bring lost bumbles home.

"What bee would you bee?" we asked

There were big bees, and small bees. There were humblebees and fumblebees, grumblebees and stumblebees. There were thimblebees (surprisingly large) and even bumblebears – the ferocious bees with the faces of bears who guard a colony from peril.

There were party bees (very bright, with extra glitter) and armybees (well-camouflaged)

Our bees were well pleased with all that they could bee.

As part of Buxton Art Trail, Creeping Toad worked with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in the Serpentine Community Farm. Over the BAT weekend at the start of July we talked to visitors, invited people to wander and wonder, to enjoy the delightful gardens of the farm, and talk to us about bumbles. There was bumblebee art to examine (ie art inspired by bumblebees, the bees own art is performance related and needs careful watching). There were flowers, cakes, tea and excitements to encounter

The B'bee CT marquee

Slowly, we built a wall of postcards capturing moments from a bumblebee’s world

There were lots of postcards and if your picture has not appeared here – we apologise!

And many thanks to the wodnerful Ruth Evans for the images she let us use - including the strip at the top of this post and the final image below

Bumblebees on the Buxton Art Trail

Bumblebee Art

 2 days of art and bumblebees

Serpentine Community Farm, Buxton

6, 7 July

What bumble would you bee? 

A humblebee? a grumblebee? a fumblebee? 

Or maybe just a Bumblebee?

For Buxton Art Trail this year, Creeping Toad is working with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's Pollinating the Peak project to offer a different perspective on our invaluable Bumbles.

We are running 2 days of art, gardens and Bumblebees at the Serpentine Community Farm in Buxton. There will be an exhibition of paintings and pictures, mostly by local artists. There will be a chance to add your own quick pic to our wall of postcards, building a picture of a bumblebee’s world.  You can make your own bumble-badges as well or use the opportunity to talk to people about your garden – what can you do to make a home more bumble-welcome?

Join us at the Farm and enjoy art, gardens and bumble-buzzing conversations!

Position 35 on Buxton Art Trail 

Our Bumblebee Galleries will be open both days from 11am - 4pm. Admission is free  and materials are provided for activities

Paintings in this post are by Ruth Evans whose work will be included in the exhibition this weekend. Ruth's work also features in another garden conservation project: We Are The Ark so why not drop in on that as well for still more ideas about garden, wildlife and wonder?

Photos: an Orkney Bumblebee above...and below a Dovedale Bumble....