Press release
Interactive Aardman ‘Bug Hunt’ launching at new insect garden at Stratford Cross as ‘Lloyd of the Flies’ named Ambassador of the Royal Entomological Society
An interactive Lloyd of the Flies augmented reality trail will entice families, youngsters and insect enthusiasts to the Royal Entomological Society (RES) Insect Garden at Stratford Cross in East London when it opens to the public this week. Help Lloyd, the first ever non-human RES Ambassador, find his friends and bring them all back to the ‘luxury bug hotel’ in the garden, learning fun facts about the tiny but mighty creatures that support all life on Earth.
Located at Stratford Cross, a thriving destination in East London and the gateway to East Bank, the UK’s exciting new cultural quarter on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the RES Insect Garden was created by leading garden designer Tom Massey for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023, thanks to funding from grant-making charity Project Giving Back. The garden has now been rebuilt as a permanent feature at Stratford Cross, adding to the vibrant mix of attractions, shopping, dining and entertainment available to residents and visitors.
The RES Insect Garden is now fully open to the public as a place to learn more about the vital role insects play in urban environments. The relocation of the RES Insect Garden has been made possible thanks to funding from Project Giving Back, Lendlease, SHIFT (London Legacy Development Corporation) and individual supporters of the RES who donated to the Big Give Appeal.
“We are delighted to welcome Lloyd as our first insect ambassador and to partner with Aardman and Lendlease to launch the interactive ‘Bug Hunt’ at Stratford Cross. Our huge thanks go to Lendlease, SHIFT and Project Giving Back for helping bring the RES Insect Garden to East London as a permanent urban haven for insects and insect science. We are passionate about inspiring the next generation of insect scientists – whose fascination with insects often starts in childhood – so Lloyd is ideally placed to help us encourage children and their families to see the world through the eyes of an insect and appreciate their vital role in the health of humans and the planet.”
Simon Ward, CEO at the Royal Entomological Society
“Sustainability, innovation, and collaboration run through everything we do at Stratford Cross. Nestled just a stone’s throw from some of the world’s most famous cultural and academic institutions at the East Bank, including UCL and the V&A, the new RES Insect Garden will embody all these values. It will not only promote biodiversity and local wildlife in Stratford but be a shared resource for education and research for all ages. We are excited to kick off the garden’s life in Stratford with the arrival of the Lloyd of the Flies ‘Bug Hunt’ and to engage residents and visitors in the fascinating world of insects this summer.”
Guy Thomas, Head of Retail and Place Assets at Lendlease
Lloyd of the Flies is Aardman’s CGI comedy series for children and its hero, the housefly Lloyd, and his invertebrate friends will lead the ‘Bug Hunt’ family trail experience at Stratford Cross. Visitors can use Aardman’s augmented reality ‘Bug Hunt’ app to follow a route around the RES Insect Garden and some of the other insect-rich green spaces at Stratford Cross, as they learn fascinating facts about insects and see the world through the eyes of a fly. Following the festivities, families are welcome to enjoy shopping, dining and entertainment on offer at Stratford Cross.
“We created Lloyd of the Flies to bring the fascinating world of insects to children in a fun and accessible way so the partnership with the Royal Entomological Society and the team at Lendlease is a perfect way to celebrate Lloyd’s appeal. Having spoken to Lloyd himself ahead of the big Bug Hunt launch at Stratford Cross, I can confirm that he can’t wait to explore the RES Insect Garden for himself and introduce his friends to the fantastic habitats and sources of food for insects that it offers!”
Matthew Walker from Aardman, creator and director of Lloyd of the Flies
The RES Insect Garden’s centrepiece is an outdoor laboratory with a multi-coloured domed roof, inspired by the shape of an insect’s eye. This eye-catching feature, fabricated by Cake Industries, is constructed from hundreds of laser-cut hexagonal panels that provide plenty of opportunities for insects to shelter and thrive. The garden includes a wide mix of planting chosen to encourage invertebrates and provide year-round food sources for pollinators and other beneficial insects, as well as a range of habitats made from materials that are often discarded including dead wood, rubble and sand.
“The vast majority of the UK’s population live in urban areas, so we must consider brownfield sites as important for biodiversity as more rural locations. Stratford Cross is a fantastic example of how it’s possible to deliver a sustainable built environment that prioritises benefits for both people and nature. It is great to see the garden come to life in its permanent home as a platform for the RES to raise awareness of insects and their importance in the global environment and to welcome families and young people to enjoy the garden this summer alongside Lloyd of the Flies!”
Tom Massey, designer of the RES Insect Garden
As well as providing a year-round destination for visitors to Stratford Cross to explore and enjoy, the RES Insect Garden will become the focal point for ongoing education and engagement on the subject of insects in urban green spaces. The RES is working with Newham Council on an adult learning course about biodiversity that will use the garden as a centre for study, and is designing a new education programme to offer primary school aged children an opportunity to study insects on the garden.
For further information about the Royal Entomological Society Insect Garden visit: https://www.royensoc.co.uk/the-res-garden/.
ENDS
For more details about the Royal Entomological Society Insect Garden at Stratford Cross, visit: https://www.royensoc.co.uk/the-res-garden/
For further information about Stratford Cross, visit: https://www.stratfordcross.co.uk/
For media enquiries about the Royal Entomological Society Insect Garden at Stratford Cross, please contact Clare Johnson or Jennie Spears at Bloom PR & Communications at hello@bloom-pr.co.uk
For media enquiries about the wider Stratford Cross development and Lendlease, please contact the LCA team at lendlease@londoncommunications.co.uk
