Sunnyside pupils launch bug hunt with Butterfly Conservation charity

The Butterfly Conservation (BC) launched an initiative which encourages children to get out of the classroom and experience nature first-hand.

In particular, the charity hopes kids to get to know more about caterpillars, butterflies and moths and their important roles as pollinators.

As part of a two-year project, the BC team called into Sunnyside primary where P3 pupils took part in three workshops before showing P1s what they had learned.

It was a great experience for everyone involved according to class teacher Louise Stewart.

She said: "It was great; very successful. The kids loved it, it was the P3 and P3-4 classes which had been learning together about the life cycle of a butterfly and the differences between moths and butterflies.

"Polly [from the charity] brought in live specimens of moths and caterpillars and all the children got to interact with them.

"After that we all went outside on a bug hunt as we had bought bug hunting equipment recently thanks to a grant."

The project has recently been given £57,000 funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other groups.

Louise added that the outdoor area of the school had recently been cleaned up by members of the local community which allowed the project to thrive at the school.

Polly Phillpot, the project officer who attended the school for the workshops, said: "We're targeting schools mainly in urban areas as these children generally experience less wildlife – one little boy told me he'd never seen a butterfly before.

"One of the schools involved actually created a green space for wildlife next to their playground. We helped the kids plant here and they can now do more outdoor lessons and activities in future.

"Being outside and enjoying nature is really beneficial to our mental well-being, but it's also crucial to reconnect the younger generations with the natural world, because ultimately they are the wildlife guardians of the future."