Sustainability With Gavin March 2022

Sustainability With Gavin March 2022

Hi everyone, I hope the golf is going welI? 

I have two areas to cover in this month’s update: Reed beds and Bees!

Reed Bed Filtration System

To start with we have finally completed the construction of a holistic water treatment system at our maintenance facility.  

Reed beds are habitats found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions and estuaries. Reed beds naturally filter and clean water and can be used to treat and improve water quality prior to it returning to the environment.  It utilises the ability of the reed to transport oxygen, thus allowing bacteria, fungi and microorganisms to breakdown, digest and clean waste water to the point where it can be safely discharged.

We have just completed the construction of a three tier reed bed where water is held back at each level and then released through a pipe system and sluice gate, allowing cleaner water to move down each bed until it is released into a soak away.  This system filters the contaminated water discharged when cleaning the greenkeeping equipment after use. At the beginning there are 2 physical filters that trap large debris before the remaining water flows into the first reed bed. Then the water slowly filter down into the next reed bed before finally leaving that bed into a soakaway. Maintenance requirements are low and at the same time we have created what will be of benefit to nature too.  

The reed beds under construction

Reed beds are a nationally scarce habitat and certain wildlife depend on them. At Hunley GC we have several ponds offering habitats for many varieties of plants, birds, mammals, insects and reptiles, including the protected great crested newt. Our new reed beds will add to this habitat and hopefully attract new wildlife and species to inhabit the area.

Supporting Bees

Secondly we are pleased to announce that we will be supporting local beekeepers in their endeavour to provide a way forward to a stable and sustainable future for our bees.

The National Bee Improvement Programme (NatBIP) is an initiative organised by the Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders’ Association (BIBBA), with the twin aims of reducing the number of imports of honey bees into Britain, Ireland and associated islands, and of improving the quality of our honey bees. 

The British Black is a local name for the honey bee sub-species Apis mellifera mellifera (Amm) that is native to the British Isles. 

David & Alan, two local beekeepers have been raising native AMM queens for several years with the aim of developing a more hardy, docile and productive bee suited to our local environment. 

They have several apiaries along the north east coast and we have made plans with them to set up a queen rearing station at the golf club. This is an ideal match with our vision of not only providing a leisure facility for people to enjoy, but also creating a natural habitat where wildlife, plants and animals are protected and undisturbed. 

A site has been selected away from human activity and will give the bees an ideal place to hopefully thrive.

Bee Hives are ready for bees to be introduced in April

We will continue to keep you updated on these exciting new projects as well as other initiatives that we are working on.

Many thanks for reading this.

Gavin Kitching 

Deputy Course Manager 

Hunley Golf Club

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