Did you know that Seventeenth Century clergyman Charles Butler, known as the ‘father of English beekeeping’ was born in Wycombe? You could say that four hundred years later his legacy really has ‘come home’ as RAF High Wycombe has created its first hive to capitalise on the rich flora and fauna that surrounds the Station.
The humble honeybee has seen a marked decline in recent years due to habitat loss, land use change, pesticides and disease. Helping to reverse this trend are two environmentally friendly officers, Sqn Ldr Harwin & Flt Lt Hetherington from Station Services Squadron who, after a light bulb moment could never have imagined the impact of their dream.
Did you know…..That bees can travel up to 3 km from the hive to collect pollen?
“I had read about the decline in bee populations and remembered a huge, overgrown area outside 1 Site that would be perfect for wildflowers. It sort of tied itself together – doing a wildflower project and having the pollinators to go with it,” said the Sqn Ldr.
Neither had attempted to do anything like this before and the obstacles were many, including funding to buy the hive. This was eventually secured through the Commanding Officer’s Fund, with some equipment being bought by the pair personally. Flt Lt Hetherington utilised his past contacts whilst stationed at RAF Leeming as a Station Adjutant to look at what they delivered in terms of training for their bee colony. Online courses and YouTube videos as well as talks with beekeepers have all helped to increase knowledge.
Did you know…..That a single bee weighs .00025 pounds. 4000 bees together only weigh one pound?
Rather than using existing infrastructure – “We could have put some tiles and wood on a bit of grass, but we wanted it to look aesthetically pleasing,” the pair decided to incorporate the relationship they already enjoyed with their primary contractors and ask them to contribute to the initiative. Key contractors including Tivoli, Vinci and InsideOut follow the ‘Standout & Make a Difference’ initiative where, through their actions they can be seen to be making a difference to both the Air Force and the local community, including promoting biodiversity. Combined, the teams built up the low-level bank to create a level area, supplied concrete steps and fence panels and wood chips that adorn the floor were from trees cut down in High Wycombe. “It has completely exceeded expectations” said Sqn Ldr Harwin “I never thought it would look so professional!”
Did you know…..A single bee produces one teaspoon of honey in its lifetime and can fly up to 12 mph?
The benefits of the new hive are far reaching. There is greater engagement with organisations that have traditionally had no link to the RAF, including the High Wycombe Beekeepers Association who supplied the 40,000 bees to populate the colony and give invaluable tips and advice. The thought is that the initiative will be more of a social enterprise with an emphasis on volunteering, as at some point both Officers will be posted and will have to hand on. From a wellbeing point of view the arrival of the hive will be a “welcome distraction from day-to-day office duties,” according to the Sqn Ldr that will also promote awareness amongst the local community.
the new hive stand with Flt Lt Hetherington
Did you know…..a Queen bee will lay 800,000 eggs in her lifetime and only leaves the hive once in order to mate?
And for the future? “If it is successful, we want to pass this on as a legacy beekeeping project and multiple beehive colonies will start to spread across the sites. It would be brilliant to include whole force, civil servants, spouses, children,” said Flt Lt Hetherington. This is echoed by the Sqn Ldr, “I want to encourage the Junior Ranks to get involved. There is no sense of hierarchy and having a chief beekeeper. It is more that they can learn from us to run their own hives.”
Any honey collected will, in time, be sold with the proceeds going to Station charities.
“I don’t mind saying that I am bit obsessed with it,” joked the Sqn Ldr. “They are like my little pets, and it is a real talking point amongst the community. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Never bee-hind the times, well done RAF High Wycombe for creating this sanctuary for people to enjoy!
