In the
morning of Wednesday 3rd May the First Communion class from Holy
Family National School created a beautiful “Pollinator Patch” in the Nun’s
Graveyard. The children were helped by
Chris Barron and Therese Higgins and Laura O’Leary and Martha Barron. Each
child planted a number of different flowers which will be particularly good for
providing nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies. They also planted a Rowan tree which will
produce flowers for the insects and berries to help feed the birds during the
autumn and winter.
While the
children were busy planting they learnt about the importance of compost and
earth worms in the soil, they inspected the roots of the different plants and
heard how bees and butterflies have long tongues to help them to drink the
nectar from the plants. They also learnt
that bees like to feed from plants of the same kind at the one time so it is
important to plant the same species of plant together in clumps to help the
bees to do this.
The
children also learnt how we depend on bees and other insects to pollinate some
of the plants and crops that we rely on for food and why it is important to
help look after the plants and animals that we share God’s earth with.
One of the
last jobs of the day was given to Ms. Collins, the class teacher. This was to erect a “Bug Hotel” which will
provide a sheltered spot for insects to hibernate in during the winter time.
