Town to be declared wildlife haven in green project

Local councils are being urged to do all they can to improve biodiversity and those of the local community with biodviversity in decline and human influences having a negative and dangerous influence,

The declaration will be signed at the wildlife nectar bar in the heart of the town’s Valley Gardens by council leader Don Mackenzie and Cabinet member for cultural services Caroline Bayliess.

The council has worked with award-winning garden designer Paul Hervey-Brookes to provide a nectar bar in the gardens and an in-flight garden on Montpellier Hill. Mr Hervey-Brookes has joined the council’s parks team in designing and planting beds in public places that will increase biodiversity and create more habitats.

Both these sites are in high profile areas and will reflect two differing messages about biodiversity and simple ways to create habitats for insects.

The nectar bar is at the heart of the Valley Gardens and features bespoke “habitat hotels”, designed by him. Plants here will be particularly attractive to bees and other pollinating insects including moths. These have been highlighted as a garden insect somewhat overlooked, they are becoming endangered but are an important pollinator.

The in-flight garden is in sight of Betty’s Tea Rooms and this site within the built environment has become a green island that can be planted with a mixture of shrubs and herbaceous material which will attract winged insects and small birds.

The council has planted key habitat creating plants such as onopordon, sanguisorba and eupatorium which all attract moths, butterflies and insects such as hoverflies or soldier beetles which are attractive flower-loving insects.

In turn these attract small birds as a food source particularly during the chick-raising life cycle. This will bring to life to an area of habitat and also create something visually stimulating to passers by.