Volunteers from Valero Pembroke Refinery spent a weekend on a number of community environmental projects on the Angle peninsula recently, by creating meadow areas and cutting willow.

The meadow creation was organised in conjunction with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, and took place at Kilpaison. The project is part of an effort to restore and create habitat for the Shrill carder bumblebee on Valero landholdings near the refinery.

Eleven Valero volunteers completed a combined total of 47 hours cutting back scrubland and developing the site to become a haven for this rare species of bee.

Dominic McDonough, Valero volunteer co-ordinator of the Kilpaison meadow project, said: “Bumblebees play an incredible role in supporting our environment as natural pollinators, and encouraging an increase in their numbers - particularly rare species like the Shrill carder - will bring positive benefits for local biodiversity. Valero has been working very closely with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust on developing this site on the refinery estate, and our volunteers enjoyed playing their part in helping to support the project.”

The other volunteer event took place at the request of Pembroke 21C, who asked Valero for assistance with willow coppicing on another area of the refinery estate, at Hentland. Pembroke 21C are growing a living willow structure for Oakwood Theme Park, and called on Valero volunteers to assist with the coppicing, bundling and tying of willow for the project. Along with volunteers from the community association, nine Valero volunteers completed a combined 56 hours in perfect weather during the day.

John Hayes, Valero volunteer co-ordinator of the Hentland willow cutting project, said: “Pembroke Refinery has been a major supporter of Pembroke 21C, in particular the willow growing project here at Hentland. Helping them further with assistance in cutting and bundling the willow for this very interesting project was something which our volunteers were only too happy to get stuck into, and an example of the practical ways Valero likes to get involved in supporting the local community.”

For information on how to apply for Valero Volunteer Council support, please email [email protected] or call (01646) 649974.