St Bede's Primary School pupils win Carlisle Council flowerbed project

Flowerbed designs created by pupils at a Carlisle primary school to help save pollinating insects have won a competition.

Year 4 pupils from St Bede's Catholic Primary School created pollinator-friendly designs for a new flowerbed at Bitts Park, overseen by Carlisle City Council.

There are 5,000 different species of pollinators in Cumbria, including bees, moths, butterflies, beetles, flies and wasps. But population numbers are declining, prompting the council to create the new flowerbed.

Pupils have now also seen their designs come to life as they helped plant the new feature as part of Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Big Buzz Conference and Fringe.

Green spaces officer for Carlisle City Council Lucy Graham visited St Bede's over the summer to talk to pupils about the importance of green spaces and pollinating insects.

Mike Oliver, a teacher at St Bede's, said: "The key for me was seeing how inspired the children were as Lucy got them to think about nature and our environment.

They saw the importance of protecting pollinators and creating areas for them to thrive. They worked together brilliantly to design gardens, thinking carefully about the plants they needed, to attract as wide a variety of pollinators as possible.

"I thought they all did an incredible job."

Councillor Nigel Christian, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said: "Lucy and the school children explored the diversity of pollinators and why they are important.

"This project with Cumbria Wildlife Trust is part of ongoing works by Carlisle City Council to improve our green spaces for pollinators and wildlife.

"The school children’s vision has now been made a reality - with a new flowerbed - designed by them in Bitts Park."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...