This World Bee Day (20 May), Berkeley’s Highcroft development in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, is celebrating its newest residents after a young family of honey bees has settled into one of the site’s dedicated hives.
The colony is being cared for by Marian Vasiliu, a lifelong beekeeper who is also Project Manager for the contractor carrying out groundworks on phase three of the development.
World Bee Day raises awareness of the vital role played by bees and other pollinators in supporting food production and helping ecosystems remain biodiverse and healthy.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, pollinators affect 35% of global crop production, while more than 80% of flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, mostly insects.
The young colony moved into one of Highcroft's hives four weeks ago. Eggs and larvae have already been found inside, and Vasiliu hopes the hive will continue to grow through the summer.
"It means a lot to care for the hives at Highcroft because I already feel connected to the site through my work here," he said.
"With West Point Construction, I'm helping prepare the next phase of the development for the people who will one day call it home. With my beekeeping, I'm creating the conditions for a new family to settle and thrive."
For Vasiliu, who now keeps 13 of his own hives in Aylesbury, the arrival continues a lifelong connection with bees that began when he was 13 years old in Romania.
His first hive was started after a swarm landed at his grandmother's home in Nadifa, a village in the Moldavia region.
"I saw them land and I begged my father to let me collect them in a large wooden box. Afterwards, I read as many books as I could on beekeeping and hive management, and taught myself how best to look after these amazing and important creatures."
Vasiliu later moved away from beekeeping, studying Forestry and then moving to North London, while his uncle took over the hives back in Moldavia. However, after moving to Aylesbury, Vasiliu noticed wild swarms landing in his garden.
"I always say the bees found me. Sometimes it feels like the bees are looking for a beekeeper, not the other way around.
"I don't keep bees for money; it is a passion. My family joke about when am I going to see my ‘queens' again, but I like looking after them and watching the colonies grow."
The Highcroft hives were previously managed by local beekeeper Yvonne Parks, who has cared for previous colonies of honey bees at the development over the last three years. During that time, the hives produced several honey harvests while helping to pollinate flowers across the gardens, allotments and green spaces nearby.
Parks said: "It has been lovely to see the hives become part of Highcroft over the last three years, and we have enjoyed several honey harvests along the way.
"If people would like to support pollinating insects, planting a wide variety of flowering plants is one of the best things they can do, especially annuals and Mediterranean herbs like lavender and thyme.
At Highcroft, the hives form part of Berkeley's wider focus on nature and biodiversity. More than 18 acres of open space are being delivered across the development, alongside the planting of over 1,000 new trees, with allotments, swales, ponds, wildflower meadows, hedgerows and other features providing habitat and seasonal variety across the site.
Stephen Kirwan, Managing Director, said: "The arrival of a new bee family at Highcroft is a wonderful moment for the development, and Marian and Yvonne's stories give it a real human connection.
"World Bee Day is an important reminder of the role pollinators play in supporting biodiversity, and the hives are a special part of the wider work being done to support nature across Highcroft."
Highcroft is a Wallingford development by Berkeley, offering a range of two- to five-bedroom homes for all generations in a landscaped setting close to the town centre. The development also includes a new primary school, 2.2 acres of sports pitches, play areas, footpath connections, allotments and nature trails.
