Flower meadow for wild bees!

I like to say, „two heads are better than one, and three are even better!” That’s exactly how we managed to organize the sowing of a meadow on the grounds of the Pociechom Foundation in Warsaw. Three heads—namely, the WIT Foundation, the Meadow Foundation, and me with Together for Bees.

As part of the „Pedagogy for Change” program, WIT, together with the Meadow Foundation, conducted workshops for the staff and guests of the Pociechom Foundation in Warsaw, and we sowed a flower meadow. The workshops focused on biodiversity—how crucial it is for wild bees and all the small creatures that can survive thanks to preserving a natural ecosystem.

On the occasion of Bee Day, the Meadow Foundation held an educational event about biodiversity. The stars of the show were wild bees, and their fascinating world was introduced by Aga from the Meadow Foundation.

For centuries, humans have focused on the well-being of honeybees, which produce honey, but the essential role of wild bees has only been widely recognized relatively recently. There are over 450 species of wild bees in Poland. Three-quarters of them nest underground, avoid humans, and feed on the pollen of flowers that we often consider insignificant weeds. However, without these „weeds,” the survival of solitary bees is impossible.

Recognizing that closely mown lawns, which are commonly seen in cities, are harmful to the natural environment, the Meadow Foundation has introduced flower meadows to urban areas. During a workshop held on May 19, participants sowed seeds of flowers that will provide food and shelter for a variety of bee species.

The biodiversity workshop was conducted by Agnieszka from the Meadow Foundation. We learned all about wild bees—what they need, where they live, and how we can avoid disturbing them while offering support! We also discovered many plant species that help purify our air from pollution, such as campion, an unassuming plant whose sticky properties allow it to absorb pollutants and clean the air we breathe.

The Meadow Foundation is conducting research on this topic, and I warmly invite you to explore their findings.

Preparing the land for sowing a meadow also follows its own set of rules. The Meadow Foundation took care of preparing our plot of land for sowing. The soil was tilled, and we were ready to begin the very enjoyable task of planting the meadow.

Each of us received a jute pouch filled with a mix of seeds, both perennial and annual. Together, we started sowing, walking across our section of land and gently scattering the seeds. This method allowed us to achieve an even distribution of seeds over the soil.

Na koniec naszym zadaniem było przechadzanie się po świeżo zasianym terenie. Każdy miał swój kawałek do przejścia i udeptania ziaren, by miały stabilizację i nie odfrunęły nam w siną dal. Udeptywanie okazało się nie lada zabawą, podczas której mieliśmy wiele frajdy, a nasze nogi otrzymały solidny trening. Same benefity! 

This is how our beautiful flower meadow came to be, which you can visit and admire as it grows at the Pociechom Foundation, located at Wybrzeże Puckie 2 in Warsaw.

A heartfelt thank you to the Meadow Foundation – thanks to you, another piece of land on our beautiful planet will support species biodiversity.

Thank you to Justyna, the president of the Wytwórnia Inicjatyw Twórczych Foundation, for organizing the funding within the framework of Pedagogy for Change, co-financed by the EU.