Blenheim Palace unveils nature challenge for young explorers
Blenheim Palace will be buzzing with excitement this summer as it launches its first-ever ‘Bee on the Lookout’ Eco Count, a fun and educational challenge aimed at inspiring young explorers.
Britain’s Greatest Palace has teamed up with Rowse Honey to launch the initiative, which kicks off on Saturday 12th July and runs throughout the summer holidays. Families are invited to explore the estate’s gardens and parklands by following the new Rowse Honey Nature Trails and record the minibeasts they spot along the way, such as bees, butterflies, beetles and ladybirds.
There will be two trails to choose from – a shorter route for tiny explorers that takes in the potager garden, butterfly house and kitchen garden, and a longer route for older children, including stops at the water terraces, rose garden and the iconic cascades designed by Capability Brown.
Visitors will be given a checklist and map upon arrival at either the Formal Gardens or Walled Garden entrance, and are asked to log their findings online afterwards. The final eco count tally will be revealed at the end of the summer to showcase how many different minibeasts call Blenheim Palace home.
Heather Carter, Managing Director at Blenheim Palace, said: “We’re fortunate to have a rich and diverse ecosystem here at Blenheim Palace – our gardens and parkland provide an ideal habitat for a wide range of species. The Eco Count is a fantastic way to spark children’s curiosity and help them connect with nature, while learning just how important insects are for keeping ecosystems in balance – we might even inspire the next generation of David Attenboroughs along the way!”
Marine Bourbon, Head of Marketing at Rowse Honey, added: “We’re proud to partner with Blenheim Palace on this exciting initiative to inspire the next generation of nature lovers. At Rowse, we believe protecting pollinators is vital to preserving our planet’s biodiversity. Projects like the ‘Bee on the Lookout’ Eco Count are a fun, engaging way to bring that message to life, as well as our Hives for Lives apprenticeship, launched in 2014 to train young people into a career as a bee farmer.”
Blenheim Palace and Rowse Honey have been working closely since 2023 on an ambitious conservation project to support pollinators, which has seen 50-acres of the estate transformed into rich wildflower meadows. This has created sustainable nectar sources for wild bees and other pollinators, while introducing new habitats for insects and birds across the estate.
Participation in the ‘Bee on the Lookout’ Eco Count is included with all general admission tickets to Blenheim Palace during the summer holidays.
For more information about Blenheim Palace and the Rowse Honey Nature Trails, visit https://www.blenheimpalace.com/whats-on/events/rowse-honey-nature-trails/.
ENDS
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About Blenheim Palace
Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Set in over 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland and designed by Vanbrugh in the Baroque style, it was financed by Queen Anne, on behalf of a grateful nation, following the first Duke of Marlborough’s triumph over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession.
Today it houses one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe, which includes portraits, furniture, sculpture and tapestries.
Blenheim Palace is also the birthplace of one of Britain’s most famous leaders, Sir Winston Churchill, and it was his father who described the vista on entering the Estate from the village of Woodstock as the ‘finest view in England’.
About Rowse Honey
In 1938, Tony Rowse started keeping bees in Oxfordshire and so began his legacy of creating & championing the best environments for bees and beekeeping to thrive.
Today, Rowse is the UK’s favourite honey brand. Every batch of Rowse honey is 100% pure & natural; individually tested and traceable back to the hives and the beekeeper who tended the bees. Its range of honeys can be found in all the major national supermarkets.
Honey is a wonder product the world can’t live without – bees are important pollinators that help biodiversity thrive but they’re under threat. That’s why Rowse has heavily invested in their unique Hives for Lives programme that helps protect bees & beekeepers for future generations. Rowse is proud to work alongside partners including Blenheim Estate, the Bee Farmers Association (BFA), Bees For Development (BFD) and the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at Sussex University.
