The Community Champions team at Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) has been hard at work building beehives and planting flowers and vegetables as part of their Community Garden project for 2024.
The beehive installation involved the construction of two hives and the re-location of a bee colony to a new home at their manufacturing facility in Blackburn, England. The wider community garden project required building three raised beds, planting nectar-rich cottage garden flowers and native wildflowers, to ensure their new residents have plenty to keep them occupied!
There is also the prospect of delicious PPE honey later on in the year, the sale of which will be rolled into supporting their ongoing relationship with Blackburn Foodbank.
“It’s been a fascinating project to be involved with,” said Donna, Marketing Communications Manager and member of the Community Champions team. “I’m pretty sure none of us had any prior experience going into this challenge, but having the opportunity to learn about beekeeping and get stuck into the build process has been fantastic. We can’t wait until our new friends are settled in their new homes, and hope they’re buzzing with excitement at the habitat we’ve all helped to create!”
The creation of this Community Garden is part of a wider initiative across all IDEX Corporation businesses to enrich our local working environments and do what we can to support and improve our local ecosystems. IDEX Health & Science in Rochester, New York, first planted their community garden in 2021 and they are now entering their fourth growing season, with employee volunteers sharing the harvest with their colleagues.
Earlier this year, employees at PPE in Blackburn spent a sunny day vegetable planting and expanding their communal space. So far, they’ve planted peas, potatoes, strawberries, onions, beetroot, radishes and tomatoes. They’ve also added picnic benches and a compost bin on-site. They are now working on adding organic nourishment to their soil. (They are currently in the market for alpaca poop.)
This endeavor comes following the installation of solar panels across the entirety of the facility, cutting PPE’s carbon footprint significantly. Keep a look out on PPE’s LinkedIn page for the latest from all of their Community Champions projects. We hope you feel inspired to initiate your own community garden at your location business.
PPE is part of IDEX Sealing Solutions, which engineers and manufactures seals for some of the world’s most demanding and critical applications. They are one of a handful of IDEX businesses who have created a community garden.