The Hackney Buzz - Hackney Buzzline News April 2025

Spring has arrived in Hackney and the Buzzline is buzzing back to life! Warmer days are bringing out bees and butterflies to forage among blossoms and flowers in our parks and gardens. How many kinds have you seen?

Kingsmead Memory Garden

Hackney Buzzline postcode gardener Rachael has created a stunning community garden on the Kingsmead Estate, with the help of dozens of volunteers. The garden was built in memory of the ‘Golden Girls’ - three elderly residents who passed away on the estate. It contains all the habitats pollinators need – a wildflower meadow scrape, clover and crocus lawn, bee and butterfly-friendly ornamental flowers, and climbers. It has drilled wooden posts for cavity-nesting bees, a sandy-loam bank for ground-nesting bees, and three pollinator wells. We have raised a ‘Woodhenge’ monument of reclaimed timbers and made a gabion boundary wall from recycled paving. The garden is graced by a Golden Girls memory mosaic, together with a Honey bee mosaic and a White butterfly mosaic chosen by their relatives. The beautiful artworks were made by volunteers at the Hackney Mosaic Project. 

If you want to see the Memory Garden please join us at our Opening Day on Saturday 24 May from 1pm-4pm.

Millfields Park

The sight of 5000 English bluebells poking their leaves above the ground in Millfields Park in the spring sunshine gladdens the heart. Children, young people and volunteers helped plant the bluebells in a native tree biome last autumn, beside a wildflower meadow strip we sowed there earlier. Can you spot the pollinator in the photograph?

Over winter, more habitats have been created for pollinators and wildlife to thrive, including a pond, solitary bee bank, and new wildflower meadows. The habitat work is an exciting collaboration between Hackney Council, Hackney Buzzline, ReNature London, Tree Musketeers, Millfields User Group, local schools, and community volunteers. Information Boards will be installed in the park this spring. 

Kampala Buzzline

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve formed a unique partnership between the Hackney Buzzline and a new Buzzline 4000 miles away in Uganda’s capital Kampala. The Kampala Buzzline launched in February at a high-profile event attended by the Ugandan government and the UK High Commission.  It is the first international collaboration of its kind – connecting communities across continents in a shared mission to protect pollinators.

We kicked off the partnership by twinning two Buzzline schools - Kingsmead Primary School in Hackney and New Brain Primary School in Kampala. The twinning arrangement unites the schools in a global commitment to support pollinating insects and enhance biodiversity in their communities. 

Hackney Buzzline manager Gerry travelled to Kampala to help launch the new Buzzline carrying a suitcase of butterfly masks made by Kingsmead pupils. He gave the masks to New Brain children, and they handed him handmade butterflies and other gifts, which Gerry presented to Kingsmead on his return. 

The collaboration was sparked when Hannington Sserwanga, a Ugandan environmentalist and founder of the Marafiki United Green Youths Initiative discovered the Hackney Buzzline project online. Inspired by our work, Marafiki has set up the Kampala Buzzline following the same model. 

Biodiversity in action

Our ecologist Gerry is tracking pollinator diversity on the Buzzline -  and the first results are incredible! Last year he found an astonishing richness of species in our green spaces, supporting a thriving ecosystem.

Gerry surveyed two small sites that we planted for bees and butterflies – a flower bed in the Concorde Youth Hub and mini wildflower meadows on the Kingsmead Estate. He recorded 38 insect species, with bees leading the way in plant pollination. Wild solitary bees made up nearly half of all bee visits!

The planted plots attracted significantly more insects than the control areas, proving the power of small-scale community greening. We had selected plants based on rigorous research into local bee species’ preferences. Data analysis confirmed that our targeted approach successfully attracted bees to their favourite flowers, boosting bee diversity and strengthening our local pollinator community.

Gerry also surveyed the Hackney Buzzline parks and identified 113 species, including priority conservation species like the endangered Brown-banded carder bee and the Essex Skipper butterfly. He found meadows and long-grass areas were insect hotspots, supporting a rich variety and abundance of butterflies and other pollinators. Expanses of mown grass which dominate the parks support few species. Gerry’s findings underline the importance of creating diverse green space habitats for nature recovery. 

Please email [email protected] if you would like to help monitor pollinators this year.

Next Stop: Clapton Park

We’ve now completed Stage 1 of the Hackney Buzzline - creating a chain of pollinator stops through the Kingsmead Estate from Mabley Green to Daubeney Fields. From April, we’ll be working with dedicated community gardeners on Clapton Park - the Poppy  Estate - to extend our flower corridor to Millfields Park.

Using our survey data and pollinator-plant research, we’ll plant the best blooms to attract local bees and butterflies — and deepen our understanding of pollinator habits along the way.

Join us!

From April 9 – May 14, we’ll plant pollinator-friendly plants every Wednesday (10:30am–2:30pm) — think salvias, culinary herbs, wildflowers, and one of our Buzzline favourites, geraniums! Then, from June 11 – July 9, we’ll create more vital habitats, including bee banks, bee hotels, loggeries, and gabions.

Want to get involved? Drop in for as long as you like, learn new skills, meet like-minded people and help make Hackney greener. To join us, join our WhatsApp Hackney Buzzline volunteering group or email Rachael at [email protected].

Visit Kew Gardens

We would like to offer you the chance to join us for a free Easter day trip to the world-famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. You’ll see spring in full bloom there with awe-inspiring magnolias, colourful cherry blossoms, and a treasure trove of tulips and bluebells. You can meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar - an interactive adventure trail which recreates the caterpillar’s journey from egg to butterfly through 3D installations. And you can marvel at the Zadok Ben David Natural Reserve installation of over 17,000 steel etched flowers.

We have two dates available for up to 20 people per visit on Sunday 13 April and Thursday 17 April. Email Rachael on [email protected] to join the group . 

The trip is on us to thank you for your support and dedication and an opportunity to come and meet the team.

Get Your Garden on the Buzzline Map

Are you planting for pollinators this spring? Your green space – big or small – can help create a thriving local ecological network for bees, butterflies and wildlife. Whether you’re transforming your front garden, growing plants on your balcony, creating a wildflower patch, or rewilding a corner, we want to celebrate your efforts.

Add your space to the Hackney Buzzline Community Map by sharing a photo and telling us what you’ve done. Look at other people’s stories. Let’s connect and build a vibrant corridor of pollinator-friendly havens. When we combine them, small actions make a big difference. Let’s build a Buzzline community together!