Group wants to turn referendum posters into bee hives

There’s no doubt that some campaigners will be stung by the result in the same-sex marriage referendum, but an environmental group hopes to turn the campaign to its advantage by turning all of the posters into bee hives.

The Bí project, which is trying to reintegrate bees into Dublin’s northwest inner city, has called on all Yes and No campaigners to keep the buzz going by allowing the posters to be recycled.

Kaethe Burt-O'Dea, who started the urban bee project, said bees made decisions collectively and democratically so it would be fitting to use a by-product of our democratic process to assist theirs.

New swarms

Using a simple folding technique, the posters can be recycled to house new swarms of bees in urban gardens over the summer months.

Ms Burt-O’Dea said the posters were ideal for this purpose because they were made of durable and resilient outdoor material.

The Bí project is holding an event on Monday, June 1st, in Smithfield, Dublin, to show people how to transform the referendum posters.

“Every year in late spring and early summer, faced with the life or death problem of choosing and travelling to a new home, honey bees stake everything on a democratic process that includes collective fact-finding, vigorous debate, and consensus building,” she said.

Meanwhile, the disposal of election and referendum campaign posters add to the tons of existing waste that weigh heavily on the land. Ms Burt-O’Dea said the Bí initiative was an ideal opportunity for citizens to make a positive contribution to flagging bee populations.

The Smithfield event will also involve seed bombing, where little balls of clay, compost and native wildflower seeds will be flung over fences into disused areas to attract and nourish urban bees.

The Bí project is trying to make 2015 the year of the bee in Dublin, by developing an outdoor beekeeping centre and organising training opportunities and bee monitoring walks.