Watch Betty the bee as she buzzes across Chelmsford City.
Chelmsford’s newest tiny tour guide is taking residents on a flight through the city’s green spaces. A year after a beehive landed on the Civic Centre roof, Betty the bee is helping to show how pollinators can thrive in even the busiest urban environments.
Starting from the Plan BEE hive on Chelmsford’s Civic Centre roof, Betty’s journey takes her across a network of vibrant, flower-filled stops, from parks and planted beds to smaller pockets of nature tucked into the heart of the city.
Along the way, Betty explores hanging baskets outside a local pub and café, colourful flower beds, grass verges and wildflower corners buzzing with life. These small habitats may be easy to miss, but they provide vital food and shelter for bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinators.
The film highlights the importance of connected green spaces across Chelmsford and the role everyone can play in supporting urban biodiversity. Whether it is a window box, a mini meadow, a wildlife-friendly garden or a community planting project, every patch of nature helps create more space for wildlife to thrive.
We sometimes use AI to support creativity in our photography and video production. From editing and enhancing visuals to exploring new ways of telling stories, it helps us bring ideas to life that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. We’re committed to being open, honest and accurate, and never use AI to mislead or misinform. See the end of this page for why we filmed this way and a brief overview of behind the scenes.
Credits: Thanks to everyone who helped bring Betty’s journey to life, including Plan BEE, Invest Chelmsford, Starr Brothers Films, Essex Film Office, The Railway Tavern, all Parks Gardeners and Volunteers, Chelmsford Markets, Chelmsford Communications team for the voice over and Gary. Plus, Betty, and all the city’s pollinators, send a cheerful thank you to all Chelmsford residents doing their bit for nature on their doorstep, from making nature pledges and volunteering to creating window boxes and mini meadows. We salute you!
We might not be able to interview betty – but imagine if we could…
Q: Hi Betty! You’re new to the city — how are you settling in?
Very well, thank you! I’ve moved into a lovely purpose-built rooftop apartment, right in the middle of everything. It’s a brilliant central spot with plenty of buzz — quite literally. There’s always something going on, and it’s a great place to start my day.
Q: What does a typical morning look like for you?
I’m an early riser. I like to get out while it’s still fresh, stretch my wings and head straight for the best pollen. After the plants have had a chance to recharge overnight, there’s usually plenty to collect. I enjoy a bit of variety, but at the moment I’d say salvias and lavender are my favourites.
Q: Has the weather made things tricky?
It has, yes. The temperatures have been a bit difficult lately, and some of the plants are struggling. That means I sometimes have to travel a little further to gather enough pollen to take back to the hive — but I don’t mind exploring, I can travel around 2 miles in one go.
Q: Do you get to meet many other pollinators while you’re out and about?
Oh yes, I’ve joined a bit of a pollinators’ social group! The butterflies and moths are always on the move, the hoverflies do a lot of hovering while they decide where to go next, and the lacewings can be tricky to spot with those delicate, glass-like wings. Everyone is busy, but it’s nice when we all cross paths around the cool grasses and flowers.
Q: We hear your wings can be quite loud — is that true?
I do get told to quieten down sometimes! My wings beat over 200 times a minute, so I suppose I can make a bit of a racket. The dragonflies are always telling me they’re faster, of course. Still, I think we all bring something special to the city.
Q: What’s it like being part of a hive?
Busy, but wonderful. I can’t imagine living alone, like the solitary bees do — there are over 10,000 of us in the hive! When I get back, I drop off my pollen and do a little waggle dance to show the others where the best food stops are. There are some brilliant places out there, from flower basket snacks to meadow feasts or even the odd garden or two for a posh nosh.
Q: And finally, what’s the best part of city life?
I think it’s the mix of everything — the flowers, the green spaces, the other pollinators and all the little food stops tucked around the city. After a busy day, it’s lovely to rest back in the hive and know I’ll be out doing it all again tomorrow.
We created Betty the bee’s journey to show how we can all work together and contribute to connected spaces for nature even in urban environments.
Here is how we did it.
(The images above are just glimpses of the filming and not from the professional.)
Starting mid-morning, at the hive on the civic centre’s roof the reel’s photographer took high quality film and photographs of the bees up close, with PlanBee beekeeper on hand making sure the bees were kept happy. While walking a mile or two around a planned route of the city, the same distance a honeybee may travel, further high-resolution images were taken of pollinator stops. Through skilled special effects and a touch of AI the images were knitted together to follow Betty’s journey. All images were based on what was seen in the real world, and enhancements were made to emphasise the story in the short time available. After the reel was created, audio was added from a recorded voiceover, with music.
We hope you have enjoyed seeing Betty’s journey, and if you have been inspired to support nature from your doorstep here are a few things can try:
Still looking for more information and inspirations check out our list of useful links below.
Nature Pledges – Love Your Chelmsford
Minibeasts. 1: Bees do the waggle dance – BBC Teach
Chelmsford Beekeepers | A Division of Essex Beekeepers Association
Prolonged spell of hot weather continues into next week – Met Office
You can view our land Management Policies here
