Passfield Hall Honey

 "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe
then Man would only have four years of life left" Einstein

How Not to Keep Bees|

Bill Turnbull's light-hearted introduction to the world of beekeeping highlights the ups and rather more frequent downs of his ten years attempting to produce honey and keep his colonies alive.

 

Wisdom of the Bees public lecture|

Michael O'Malley's new book The Wisdom of Bees shows what bees can teach managers and provides insight into decision-making, communication and forward planning.

 

Passfield Hall Honey is a showcase project that has been initiated by LSE Residences and the LSE Sustainability Team and is supported by the LSE SU.

It offers a unique opportunity to raise awareness about biodiversity and the plight of the bee amongst staff, students and vacation guests. In addition, the project provides a unique response to the LSE Environmental Policy objectives in regards to Biodiversity and Education for Sustainable Development.

Passfield Hall is one of the first halls of residence to keep hives which give the LSE the opportunity to make its very own 'Passfield Hall Honey'!

The hives are managed by a professional beekeeper, Dr Luke Dixon, an expert in rooftop and urban beekeeping and a member of the British Beekeeping Association|.

He manages a number of hives across London working with: the Natural History Museum, Lancaster London Hotel, National Magazine Company, Kensington Palace, Jordan's Cereals, Ted Baker, CityWest Homes and the London College of Fashion.

The first floor flat roof of Taviton at Passfield Hall was chosen to house the two bee hives for the following reasons:

• Low wind and sunny position for the bees (southwest facing)
  
• Good roof height so the bee flight path is sufficiently out of the way of residents while the bees remain close enough to food sources
  
• Restricted access to the roof - for the beekeeper & accompanied guests only

The LSE hives are registered with BeeBase which is the National Bee Unit. It is designed for beekeepers and provides a wide range of free information for beekeepers, to help keep their honey bees healthy. For more information see their website|.Also check out Capital Bee| who promote community-run beekeeping in London and campaigns for a bee-friendly city. It is supported by the Mayor of London and funded by London Food as part of Capital Growth|.

Documentation

• The Passfield Hall Honey Project Overview document has been prepared for your staff, students and visitor information. It contains an introduction to the project, why bees are important, facts about bees and honey, frequently asked questions, first aid information on how to handle bee stings and key contacts.
  
• A one page version of the Project Overview is displayed near to the hives themselves and on the Passfield Hall green notice board.
  
• The first aid information is also available near to the hives themselves, by Passfield Hall first aid boxes and at Passfield Hall reception.

For more information please contact: Passfield Hall Reception| or the LSE Sustainability Team|