PUPILS from a Cwmbran school were recognised for their work creating habitats for bees in a council ceremony this week.

Earlier this year, Nant Celyn Primary School had two bee hives installed by company Mel Torfaen Honey and teachers and children have received training in beekeeping and hive maintenance.

As part of their environmental learning the pupils have also planted apple and pear trees and wildflowers, supplied by Cwmbran Community Council and created ‘bug hotels’ made from logs.

Following a presentation at Torfaen County Borough Council meeting on Tuesday, September 20, the school’s eco committee received certificates from council leader and former beekeeper Bob Wellington, CBE.

“Bees are essential to our food chain and it is important that we do what we can to protect them,” he said.

“In Torfaen we are continually looking for ways to create habitats for bees and other pollinators, from our wild flower corridors to areas of meadow land.

“Nant Celyn is the first school in the borough to actually install beehives in the school grounds and we hope that other schools will see what they are doing and want to follow their lead.”

“A beehive in every school would be a fantastic achievement,” he added.

At the Cwmbran school, the children's tasks range from looking after the hives and feeding the bees during winter, to harvesting the honey.

The school also hopes to add more hives in the future with a goal of producing their own honey to sell.

Nant Celyn Primary School's Head Girl, 11, explained that the project originated from pupils “wanting to do something to help the bees”.

“Bees are dying all over the world and if we don’t have bees we won’t have any food to eat," she said.

The hives also contribute to Torfaen council’s pollinator action plan, which has seen the council work with community councils and Bron Afon to create wild flower sites and new habitats in the borough.

Nant Celyn's head teacher, Jonathan Bussy, added: “A lot of children see bees as something to be scared of and don’t make the link between the bees and the food on their plate.

"At Nant Celyn we try to give our pupils the opportunities to do things they would never normally have the chance to do.

“Having our own hives and teaching the children all about the bees eliminates those fears and gives them a greater understanding about where our food comes from.”

For more information on the project, visit www.nantcelynprimary.co.uk.