Bee Bins, Planting a Wilder Mile

Come and help Wilder turn an unloved metal bin into a beautiful bee-friendly planter.

Noon–1pm Tuesday 23 May outside Audrey’s, 1 Flat Iron Square, London SE1 0AB

The bee bin project champions UK bee species that are in rapid decline. It is run by social enterprise

Wilder, as part of their Wilder Mile project, which aims to increase biodiversity in one square mile of Southwark.

The bee bin concept Tate have donated unused black metal bins to Wilder, who are upcycling them into habitats for bee species that are in particularly sharp decline.

Each bin Wilder upcycles and plants will champion a rare bee. Their first bin will focus on the shrill carder bee. The distribution of the shrill carder bee has declined dramatically in the last century, making it one of the UK’s rarest bumblebees.

Shrill carder bees love red clover, black horehound, narrow-leaved bird’s-foot trefoil and red bartsia. As it is a late emerging species, it needs forage into late September to ensure new queens are reared.

With your help, Wilder will upcycle a large black metal bin into a bee bin and a mini habitat for the shrill carder bee.

Come along, and help Wilder create a beautiful pollinator-friendly arrangement that will help support this beautiful creature.

You will learn about wildlife-friendly planting and Wilder’s plans to increase and enhance biodiversity in Southwark.