• Charles Sturt University in Bathurst is holding a working bee at its pollinator garden on Monday 20 May

Students, staff and community members are invited to help revive Charles Sturt University’s ‘PK’s Pollinator and Community Garden’ in Bathurst in celebration of World Bee Day.

The working bee will take place on the internationally recognised day, Monday 20 May, from 10am until 11am at the campus garden, located near the Charlie Store at Charles Sturt University Bathurst

The pollinator garden was created in 2021 when a team from the Charles Sturt School of Business, led by Senior Lecturer in marketing Dr Felicity Small, secured a Sustainability at Charles Sturt grant to develop the ‘B&B’ (Bed and Breakfast) for birds, bees, butterflies and biodiversity.

Dr Small said the garden has continued to thrive but requires a regular refresh in line with seasonal changes.

“We’re asking everyone, whether you’re an experienced gardener or not, to come along and help us plant some new trees, tidy up the garden and bring some new life into the space,” she said.

“Just bring some gardening gloves, enjoy the beautiful weather we’ve been having and get to know others on campus.”

Dr Small said the event was a simple gesture towards the bigger issue of helping keep pollinator populations alive.

“There is a general decline of pollinators around the world and in Australia, and this isn’t just bees – it includes birds, butterflies and other insect pollinators – so we need to act urgently to address the decline,” she said.

“Pollinators play a vital role in our daily food intakes, being connected to one in three bites of what we eat.

“In more urban areas like Bathurst, we can create hotspots for biodiversity through planting carefully selected vegetation and putting in the effort to attract pollinators in order to keep food on the table, so to speak.”

Community members who would like to be involved with the pollinator garden in other capacities can contact the researchers via beegarden@csu.edu.au or phone (02) 6338 4242 to speak to the project lead Dr Felicity Small.

ENDS