Bugs don’t get enough credit for the role they play in keeping the Earth’s ecosystem in check, but nine young children are on a mission to change that.
The young environmentalists, known as the The Eco Emeralds, have created a special home for insects to help raise awareness of these underappreciated creatures – 41% of whom are currently threatened with extinction.
With the help of an entomologist (scientist who studies insects and their behaviours) the children from Anfield, Liverpool, have created a miniature replica of Buckingham Palace, aptly named Bugingham Palace.
The perfect home for tiny critters, the ‘hotel’ has been filled with wildflowers and the aim is for it to become a nurturing habitat, help reduce decline and serve as inspiration for others to make their own bug palaces.
This initiative is part of the Backyard Nature campaign – which encourages children to enjoy and protect nature in their areas – and is run by Iceland Foods’ charity arm and Semble, a social enterprise.
As part of the Love Bugs campaign, 300,000 basic bug hotel kits will also be given away to local communities across 980 Iceland stores, so that children and families can create their own palaces.
Each kit will include information for kids on how they can protect insects.
‘The launch of Backyard Nature last summer was a phenomenal success with nearly 200,000 nature hours delivered to children across the UK so far,’ said Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland and IFCF trustee.
‘The Eco Emeralds have continued to drive forward their inspiring ideas and Love Bugs is a fantastic example of their environmental activism.
‘It is ideas like Love Bugs that truly show that the next generation is committed to connecting with nature and their planet.’
‘These hotels will provide crucial habitats for insects, which are an integral part of our ecosystem, and I would encourage parents and their children to pick up a free bug hotel in store.
‘We’re looking forward to hearing about the bugs who are checking into our hotels across the nation.’
This isn’t the first critter campaign by Backyard Nature; the organisation has also seen children plant 15,000 million wildflower seeds across the UK to help save native bees.
We don’t know about you – but we’re all for supporting bugs, bees and other insects.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/17/children-create-bugingham-palace-highlight-importance-insects-12253981/
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