Monday 12 December 2011
Campus for Creepy Crawlies
Forth Valley College Lifestart students are taking bookings for their new Bug Hotel which they completed recently.
They are particularly keen to welcome insects and small mammals of all kinds to the specially constructed sanctuary which is sited in the grounds of the Stirling Campus at Kerse Road.
A range of suites and floors have been built – in less than eight weeks - to the exact specifications of Buglife- The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. Buglife are devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates and promote the conservation of natural environments throughout Britain.
Access and Progression Lecturer Marguerite McCreath, said: “This is part of the students’ Natural Environment unit where they came up with the idea for the bug hotel.
“Staff from the college’s Construction Department donated some materials and we are delighted with the results – the effort and hard work by everyone involved has been excellent. It has exceeded all expectation and I am very proud of them all. We hope to do it again in the future.
“We have provided a great hotel which will be useful for shelter and hibernation and the larder is fully stuffed with foodstuffs such as windfall apple and pears to provide some tasty snacks. We hope to encourage anything and everything from worms and spiders to beetles and even mice. The students will be keeping a close eye on the guests and through their observations, will be learning about the natural world.”
Suzanne Bairner from Buglife in Stirling – who was on hand to officially open the new Bug Hotel recently, said: “It’s amazing this is certainly one of the best bug hotels I have seen. Constructions such as these offer so many different habitats to encourage many different species.
Often gardens are over tidied and natural environments are harder to find. These bug hotels can fill the gap and are fun and educational. Everything has its place even bugs and these sorts of things can help them along a little in today’s world.”
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