Alconbury Weald noticeboard provides homes for smallest inhabitants

Alongside stylish homes for people in landscaped settings, Alconbury Weald is providing a mosaic of habitats for a diverse range of wildlife. The most recent installation is a community noticeboard with an integrated bug hotel providing a safe haven for some of the development’s smallest inhabitants.

Made from English-grown cedar, the bug hotel forms the border of the freestanding noticeboard and provides a durable and sustainable habitat for insects and pollinators. Different compartments are incorporated within the structure, with a variety of materials used to cater for different species. 

This includes bamboo tubes/holes in logs with different diameters to cater for pollinators of different shapes and sizes such as flower bees, leafcutters and mason bees. Pinecones provide shelter for spiders and insects such as beetles, millipedes and earwigs, while straw provides a dry nest for pollinators such as lacewings and holes in dried clay cob create an alternative habitat for solitary bees.

Commissioned and installed by Encore Estate Management at the request of Alconbury Weald Community Association, the environmentally friendly noticeboard was designed and crafted by Cambridgeshire-based Green Earth Habitats using timber responsibly sourced from sustainable forests. This ensures premium habitats that actively contribute to the conservation of the UK’s forests and promote a sustainable future. 

The noticeboard/bug hotel is located outside Ermine Street Church Academy, and a second one has been commissioned for Elizabeth Walk, outside the community orchard.