From bagels to butterflies!

When Rotherham Councillor Ken Wyatt and Jack Taylor from Rotherham Allotment Alliance identified an area of Wood Lane allotments in Swinton that was too wet for growing, they approached Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust for help, along with local business Grupo Bimbo (New York Bakery Company) for sponsorship. 

The partners came up with the genius idea of creating a bagel-shaped wildlife pond in the wet area. This was created by the Land Management Team and Community Nature Advisors from the Wildlife Trust, with help from associates at New York Bagel Company.

Councillor Ken Wyatt explains:

Grupo Bimbo (New York Bakery Company) has its head office in Swinton, and was keen to get involved in environmental improvements in the area. They funded the project, and the pond was created during the winter months. Some of their workforce got involved, taking part in wild work days and carrying out tasks like scything the reed bed so work could begin. Since completion, the pond has been settling in ready for wild visitors to take advantage of the new body of water.

The Grupo Bimbo (New York Bakery Company) sent their HR Team for an additional wild work day with Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust today, to plant up the newly created pond habitat with pond and wetland plants, create a hibernaculum (an overwintering habitat station for amphibians) and add a bug hotel.

The newly created Wood Street Allotments Bagel pond is a site dedicated for nature recovery with no public access. So far male brimstone and comma butterflies have been spotted along with a number of birds and ducks visiting the ponds. It is hoped that the improvements will provide a much needed haven for wildlife and help nature recovery in Rotherham.

If you know of a area of land and you need some advice on how to make it better for nature please get in touch with our community nature advisors via takeaction@wildsheffield.com