Honey Bees, Biodiversity and a Farm Tour at Newton Farm
- Andrew Brown
- Mar 20
- 2 min read
A fascinating local event at Calstock Arts, with part of the programme based at Newton Farm, Metherell
On Saturday 11 April, Calstock Arts will host the B4 Symposium, a day focused on free-living honey bees, biodiversity, biosecurity and community involvement. Bringing together expert speakers, current research and practical discussion, the symposium offers a valuable opportunity to learn more about honey bee conservation and the wider environmental issues connected to biodiversity in the South West.
If you cannot attend in person, there is also the opportunity to join online via Zoom.
The event includes talks on honey bee conservation, free-living honey bees, citizen science, biodiversity and biosecurity, with contributions from expert speakers including Norman
Carreck and Dr Ollie Visick.
A closer look at the wider programme
Alongside the main symposium at Calstock Arts, the programme also includes a half-day outdoor session on Friday 10 April at Newton Farm, Metherell.
This session includes:
a farm tour exploring:
wildflower meadow creation
hedge laying
wetland creation
orchard creation
conservation grazing
a demonstration of the installation of a log hive and a rocket hive
This part of the programme offers a practical look at biodiversity work on the ground and helps connect the wider themes of the symposium with real action in the landscape.
The connection to Comfort Wood Cottage
For us at Comfort Wood Cottage, this event has an especially close connection, as the Friday farm tour takes place at Newton Farm, where the accommodation is based.
That makes this an exciting opportunity not only to share news of an important local event, but also to highlight the farm setting itself and the environmental work taking place here. The themes of biodiversity, habitat creation and conservation are not just part of a wider conversation. They are also part of the landscape and surroundings that guests experience when staying at Comfort Wood Cottage.
Why this event matters
The symposium is designed to connect research with public involvement, helping more people understand the importance of free-living honey bees and the role communities can play in supporting conservation.
It is also a reminder of how closely local places, farms, habitats and communities are tied to the future of biodiversity. The Friday visit to Newton Farm adds a practical and meaningful dimension to the event by showing some of this work in action.
Find out more
The main B4 Symposium takes place at Calstock Arts on Saturday 11 April, with the additional Friday farm session at Newton Farm, Metherell.
Find out more or book here: https://calstockarts.org/event/11-april-free-living-honey-bees-a-b4-symposium/
Online
If you cannot be there in person, you can also join online via Zoom.
Zoom version:
Meeting 10:00-13:45
Meeting ID: 845 9635 9525
Passcode: 822710
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