Almost 300 school children and families enjoy ‘exciting’ minibeast activities thanks to Penderi Green Regeneration Project

Engaging lessons on bees, butterflies, wildflowers and worms have left almost 300 school children across Blaen-y-Maes, Cadle, and Portmead buzzing with excitement thanks to housing association, Pobl Group.

Children and parents in schools across areas in the Penderi Regeneration area of Swansea, which encompasses Blaen-y-maes, Portmead, Penplas, and Cadle, have been taking part in interactive lessons with Swansea Community Farm as part of Pobl’s Penderi Green Regeneration Project.

The project aims to positively transform the lives of people living in Penderi with initiatives including the regeneration of its green spaces and supporting environmentally friendly activities and businesses.

During the sessions, which have been running since May, children from nursery class through to years 3 and 4 along with their parents, grandparents and carers, have learned about the lifecycles of bees, butterflies and worms and their importance to the environment .

They have even had the chance to taste honey, make beeswax wraps and wax candles, create butterfly feeders, plant native wildflowers and learn the bee ‘waggle dance’.

Kate Gibbs manager at Swansea Community Farm said they were thrilled to have engaged with so many children and parents as part of this initiative.

She said: “It’s been fantastic to get the chance to go into schools across Penderi and teach so many children about the vital minibeasts and wildflowers that have an impact on their eco-system every day. Education is a really important part of looking after nature and helping it recover.

“Both pupils and parents have told us that they have loved the sessions and we have thoroughly enjoyed encouraging new mini environmentalists. This has been a really exciting and engaging way for everyone to learn about their natural environment, and if they enjoyed this, we’d urge them to visit us at Swansea Community Farm to learn about how we look after nature there too.

“We’re delighted to have run this as part of the Penderi Green Regeneration Project, which has been so fantastic at highlighting the wonderful green spaces and habitat we have right here in Penderi. It was particularly exciting that by the end, all the young people made beeswax wraps to wrap their sandwiches in every day instead of cling film.”

Kate McCabe, Community Development Facilitator for Pobl, said the activities were an important step in engaging the community in sustainability and their natural environment.

She said: “We are delighted that so many people across Penderi found these activities so valuable and enjoyable.

“Sharing fun activities with children and their families to learn about the natural world and sustainability is a big part of the Penderi Green Regeneration Project, so this was a really important part of our initiative.

“The fantastic work that Swansea Community Farm has delivered in Penderi has really started to build an enthusiasm among families to look after the amazing green spaces in the area, and also learn more to protect it now and for future generations.”

The Penderi Green Regeneration Project is funded by UK Government through the Community Renewal Fund (CRF). The school sessions were also supported by the Project’s partners Swansea Environment Centre, Room To Grow, and Swansea Council as well as Swansea Community Farm.