Flower Powered Pollination Tour
Meet Polly
Polly The Pollinator is a Volkswagen ID. Buzz that’s home to approximately 120,000 honey bees. Why? Maybe it’s time we had the birds & bees chat.
Polly and her passengers are following the honey flow north to south and participating in the vital annual pollination at the center of our ecosystems, from sustainable dairy and fruit to renewed native bush and forestry. It’s high time bees caught a free ride.
The VW Type 2 Kombi transported a cultural revolution in the 60s that came to be known as Flower Power. New ways of thinking elevated ideas of natural harmony, self expression and freedom. Polly is the reincarnation of that Kombi and the embodiment of those very ideas: A fully electric long-range love bus, and home to two colonies of bees who come and go as they please.
But How?
A cargo-optimised van created around a fully electric platform makes for entirely new possibilities. Polly started as a factory fresh VW ID. Buzz Cargo. A team of beekeepers and fabricators used the 3.9 m³ space to house not just hives but a fully climate-controlled ‘beecosystem’.
When Polly reaches a new location two custom made flower latches on the sides of the van open, allowing the bees to come and go from their hives via a short tunnel. Inside conditions are controlled through the 12.9” Ready 2 Discover Infotainment System (standard) and monitored through our ‘Hive Mind’ (custom) that measures temperature, light and air quality inside the hives.
Worker bees collect nectar by day and sleep in the hive during the night. This means once all the bees are home and in bed, Polly can move silently with zero fumes to the next location - up to 382 km without charge. In the morning the bees explore and map their new environment, pollinating new areas and creating a diversely blended honey that’s never been tasted before.
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Going with 'The Flow'
Polly, James and his bee team will be following ‘the honey flow’, participating in arguably the nation’s greatest natural collaboration.
The honey flow is a time in Aotearoa when nectar is most abundant, attracting bees in large quantities. Beginning in the warmer north, it flows south in a wave of blossoming flowers. As the bees transfer pollen between these flowers they’re facilitating the natural florishment that we all depend on.
Pollination is how the clover grows that fixes nitrogen in our soils, feeding our livestock and in turn our nation. It’s how crops like carrots, onions, and brassicas produce seeds. It’s how our native forests are restored. Without bees there’s no kiwifruit. There’s no hot chilis or cold sorbets. There’s no guacamole, pickles or plums.
The other thing you get out of NZ’s honey flow… is honey. The world’s most treasured honey.
The Pollination Tour on Seven Sharp
Bees are incredible little beings, quietly shaping our world. Following them on this journey is a way to celebrate that magic, and hopefully inspire Kiwis to plant flowers, nurture their gardens, and give a little love back to the land.”James, Hidden Honey Beekeeper
B2B... To Bee
Polly can do a great B2B job. Far from just another white van, by partnering with Hidden Honey and putting 120,000 passengers in the back we're inviting businesses to imagine what they could do with their own ID. Buzz Cargo.
FAQ
Why did you choose to create a mobile beehive?
How are you keeping the bees happy and safe?
How many bees are onboard Polly the Pollinator?
Why did you partner with Hidden Honey?
Why is the ID. Buzz a perfect vehicle for this road trip?
How much honey will be generated at the end of the road trip?
What happens to these bees at the end of the tour?
