Depot staff get busy with the bees

On 4th July, Depot Cinema in Lewes welcomed Alice Parfitt, Changing Chalk Conservation Officer from Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust to their living roof and orchard garden to train staff members in the identification and monitoring of pollinating insects that visit their premises!

Staff learnt the difference between honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees, as well as all kinds of beetles, butterflies, flies and moths and had a great time hunting around for bugs to take a closer look under the microscope.

Staff look forward to conducting surveys using the national Flower-Insect Timed Count method by the national Pollinator Monitoring Scheme between now and September. Surveys will enable Depot to better understand the species that their roof attracts, and feed into an important national database to monitor insect levels.

This is the last phase of an exciting staff engagement initiative to create more nesting opportunities for pollinators. The project has been funded by donations made through selling defunct film posters to local customers. What a great way to reduce waste and support nature in the process!

Find out more about Depot’s wildflower roof, and other ways the venue works to be a thriving part of the South Downs National Park, at lewesdepot.org/about/sustainability/nature