These tiny gardens could be the bees’ knees in the fight to protect urban insects.
Students at the Ursuline Academy, in Morland Road, Ilford, have created the minature worlds for a national science competition.
The team of six 13 and 14 year olds reached the final of the Big Bang Fair after impressing judges at a London heat, where they competed against ideas and inventions by more than 2,000 other students.
The group’s project is based on the Kew Gardens “grow wild” scheme, which develops wild flower planting in urban areas to create more green spaces.
They created tiny gardens in shoes, pots and even on a scaled-down roof, with materials from Avant-Garde Roofing.
Technology teacher Ed Reilly said: “The school project is linked to the current problem of the depletion of the bee population due to the use of pesticides.
“Our students looked at ways to improve the situation by designing structures for bees such as “buzz bottles” and the growing of flowers and plants in urban environments to encourage bees.”
The Big Bang Fair seeks to showcase the best projects in science, technology, engineering and maths and is open to all 11-18-year-olds in the UK.
For information, visit www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/london.
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