On 11 November, College and Sixth Form students welcomed volunteers from Exclusive Networks and Jenny Griffiths from AVLAN (Alton and Villages Local Action For Nature) for a day dedicated to supporting local wildlife.
The day began with an inspiring presentation from Jenny, who spoke about the work of AVLAN and the importance of creating habitats for insects and pollinators. Students learned how bug hotels can provide safe spaces for a wide range of species and play a vital role in promoting biodiversity. They were very keen to learn about AVLAN’s work and share their own experiences of supporting wildlife in their gardens. They asked plenty of questions about the species found in and around the local area.
In her talk, Jenny said:
"The UK's flying insect populations have declined by 60% over the last 20 years, impacted by rising temperatures and loss of habitats. Insects are fundamental to the health of our environment. Insects pollinate crops, provide natural pest control, decompose waste, recycle nutrients and underpin food chains."
The students learnt about the work AVLAN does locally to promote all the small steps we all can take in our own gardens, parks, grass verges and outdoor spaces to help give nature space to recover.
After the talk, the volunteers headed outdoors to put their new knowledge into practice, building bug hotels across the campus. With the college grounds bordering open fields and Holybourne countryside, the location proved ideal for attracting a variety of insects and small creatures.
We are very grateful to volunteers from Exclusive Networks who devoted their time to building bug hotels which help to provide shelter and compensate for habitat loss caused by urban development. A bug hotel can take up to a year to get established, but increased numbers of pollinators contribute to better fruit and vegetable yields and support a balanced ecosystem.
College student Amirah said:
"A huge thank you to three amazing volunteers, Graham Aynsley, Ellie Parker and Sammi-Jade Lowe from Exclusive Networks who spent the day at Treloar’s helping us build a beautiful bug hotel!"
