For those of you who do not know the spectacular centrepiece of PLT’s float in this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show, it was Alex Hirtzel’s Beetrice Bee!
Made by artist and ‘pollinator fanatic’, Alex Hirtzel, Beetrice Bee represents and promotes the importance of establishing and protecting ecological corridors throughout the UK. In fact, everything in Beetrice’ design harks back to this key message.
Beetrice is painted in UV to represent, in darkness and daylight, the importance of establishing ecological corridors. The aim of corridors is to link the various critical habitats of natural ecosystems. These corridors require frameworks of special protection and management to ensure biodiversity is maintained through these natural linkages.
Beetrice is painted in UV to represent, in darkness and daylight, the importance of establishing ecological corridors. The aim of corridors is to link the various critical habitats of natural ecosystems. These corridors require frameworks of special protection and management to ensure biodiversity is maintained through these natural linkages.
Also painted on Beetrice are the many plants and trees favoured by the 250 species of bees and other pollinators living in the UK, whether that be for food sources or sites to lay eggs.
Alex is an amazing artist whose work seeks to make a real difference by promoting the importance of pollinators and campaigning against the degradation of natural environments. Click here to learn more about Alex’s work, on her website.
Beetrice was originally designed for the charity, Bees For Development to be used as a discussion piece about pollinators and the environment.
Beetrice was on display in Mansion House during 2021, and after Lord Mayor Show went on loan to the Worshipful Company of Saddlers. As part of Bees of Development’s new campaign, ‘Beetrice on Tour’, Beetrice is available to rent. Contact Alex through her website or the charity Bees for Development.
