Taunton parishes opens bee hotels to help wildlife

Doug Lowe and Natalya with one of the hotels

Following a recent Creation Celebration - a special event where people celebrate the environment - parishioners in Taunton, Somerset are hoping to give local wildlife a new home after bringing over 200 pollinator plants and bee hotels into the community.

Over the summer, the parishes of St Georges and St Theresa churches were transformed with posters from local school children for their Creation Celebrations, which were organised by volunteers of the charity CAFOD.

Local volunteer and keen beekeeper Doug Lowe wanted to make the events extra special, so after the Masses, which included special readings around the theme of the environment, he gave out pollinator plants and homemade bee hotels.

CAFOD volunteer, Doug Lowe, said: "At the back of the church, there were plant and bug hotels for everyone to take home to help our pollinators nest and lay their eggs. In total, I gave away around 200 free pollinator plants and 45 homemade bee hotels."

The Creation Celebration continued as the congregation came together to sign a petition addressed to the UK government asking for faster and more effective climate action and had a discussion about the importance of nature to local life.

Maria Elena Arana, CAFOD's campaign coordinator, said: "We would like to say a massive thank you to the community of St Georges and St Theresa for holding the Creation Celebrations, and to Doug for his amazing generosity and action.

"Events like these show that communities are serious about taking responsibility and forging new habits - and this gives hope that together, we can turn the tide."

This was one of many Creation Celebration events, inspired by CAFOD's 'Our Common Home' campaign and organised by CAFOD volunteers around the country. It is hoped the events will highlight the growing concern for the environment and start new conversations about climate change.

Find out more about CAFOD's campaigns at cafod.org.uk/campaign