LUC is pleased to have supported a project that raises awareness of the protection of the native dark honey bee population at the Eden Project: ‘Prototype Hive Mind – Preserving populations of the Native Dark Honey Bee’.

Eden is evolving into a national reserve and protection zone for the native dark honey bee. In partnership with The B4 Project, Eden commissioned an installation to highlight this. The installation is a ‘live hive’ for visitors and is now home to a colony of native dark honey bees. Architectural social enterprise CAUKIN Studio undertook the design and build. LUC is proud to be a sponsor.

LUC supported the project financially and provided planting advice. Our horticultural expert, Antonia Serantoni, worked with the native Cornish palette to recommend plants that wrap around the structure and shade the hive. We avoided planting species that attract bees to reduce the risk of them stinging the visitors.

The installation is a low-tech structure that reuses scaffolding poles. Each column connects to the next, so the structure stands strong. This mimics how a bee colony relies on its members to unify.

We are delighted to still be involved with the Eden Project since providing masterplanning from the birth of the site in 1994.

Learn more about our other work at the Eden Project.