The Butterknowle Beavers, Cubs and Scouts kicked off their journey towards earning their conservation badges with an evening of environmental activities at St Cuthbert’s Church, Etherley.
The young conservationists demonstrated their commitment to nature by roping off a designated 'no mow' area, setting up two bee boxes, a ladybird box, and a butterfly box. They also cleared bushes above the bug hotel, filling it with leaves and sticks, conducted a litter pick, and identified various wildlife species within the church grounds.
The event was filled with learning and excitement as the children immersed themselves in hands-on conservation tasks. Despite their hard work, there was plenty of time for fun, including consuming a large quantity of biscuits.
The collaboration with the Scout Group is one of the initiatives the church is developing in its bid for an Eco Church gold award, having already achieved silver.
Elizabeth Jude, one of the churchwardens at St Cuthbert’s Church, expressed her delight at the collaboration, saying: “It’s been a joy working with them – our nearest uniformed organisation – and we look forward to welcoming them again,”
The Butterknowle Scout Group is scheduled to return to St Cuthbert’s Church on two more evenings this year. The future activities will include a biodiversity survey and bird and bat identification, further contributing to the church's conservation efforts and providing the children with valuable educational experiences.