Mural of the Great Yellow Bumblebee
The main purpose of the mural is to highlight the importance of the Great Yellow Bumblebee and its habitat in the Belmullet Region. The now rare Great Yellow Bumblebee has been spotted in the Belmullet region, which is now one of a few places in Ireland where this critically endangered species of bee has been recorded. The mural main feature is this bee in a recognisable local landscape, featuring the red clover which is the favourite flowers of this bee.
The mural was sketched onto an eight foot by four foot piece of Marine Ply and then we painted it. Then bottle tops were placed on the mural covering the entire surface, gluing them and screwing them in place. The mural was designed completed by local VTOS students from Belmullet VTOS, as part of their work experience module
It was also important to feature other parts of the biodiversity in the Erris region so other wildlife is featured in the mural to show how a balanced eco-system is beneficial to all life-forms and why we should protect this unique landscape. The tactile nature of the finished work is important as it allows people to feel the mural and gives it a three-dimensional affect.
The other important message is to promote the importance of the circular economy, where items are used and recycled and the life span of products does not mean that used items end up in refuge, but are reused and find another lifecycle. The bottle tops represent recycling and to send a message about protecting the environment, by reusing products and reducing waste.
Great Yellow Bumblebee EIP project
This project was recently awarded to a project team led by Belmullet Tidy Towns and Mayo County Council, which will work with local farmers to design an agri-environment scheme to put in measures to benefit the bee and wider biodiversity.