It’s a Bugs Life in Denbighshire!

Building a better bug’s life!

Crafty hands have made it a better bug’s life for the county’s insect population.

Denbighshire Countryside Service rangers alongside Nature for Health volunteers have crafted new homes to increase biodiversity support for local insects.

Rangers work with Nature for Health volunteers to help them enjoy the outdoors for physical and mental wellbeing by providing physical activities to take part in.

The Nature for Health Programme recently received £703,854 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Craft skills were put to the test at the Brickfield Pond based Countryside Services base to weave together hotels of the miniature kind to help insects thrive through the coming spring and summer months.

Volunteers helped the rangers create bug hotels which will help support different types of insects such as ladybirds, bees, spiders and woodlice, which in turn allows them to help increase local biodiversity and boost surrounding nature by increasing food sources for animals such as birds.

Some of the builds created will be used to support an upcoming school project to encourage pupils to participate in building bug hotels to help local insects.

Countryside Ranger Matt Winstanley explained: “Our insect populations play a vital role in sustaining local biodiversity and its important to protect them as much as we can. These hotels can help given them the support they need to boost their populations and also our local nature for communities to continue to enjoy.”

It’s also important to protect the nature we have on our coastline, and this will help preserve the area around Rhyl harbour for people to continue to visit and enjoy.”

Emlyn Jones, Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services, added: “It is important that we work to protect the future of our local biodiversity and this type of initiative will provide much needed support.

“This type of work is also really beneficial for helping physical and mental health and we are grateful the support of the volunteers who I hope have found the experience beneficial for their own well-being”