A vocational secondary school in northern Greece has built an "insect hotel" as part of an environmental education project to promote biodiversity and improve student learning. The initiative was carried out by the environmental team at EPAL Alexandrias, Imathia, in partnership with Lycée des Métiers du Bâtiment Sillac in Angoulême, France, within the 2024-2025 eTwinning programme called "Save the Planet: The 45 minutes challenge".
According to the school, the structure is designed to provide shelter for beneficial insects that support ecosystem balance. Students, guided by their teachers, designed and constructed the installation using natural and recyclable materials, including wood, reeds, pinecones, leaves, and small bricks. The different compartments are meant to host species such as solitary bees, ladybirds, and other pollinators and beneficial insects that help control harmful organisms.
Olympia Veniopoulou, a teacher in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, said the aim is to attract insects for pollination in the school garden while also supporting plant protection. She told Voria.gr that the activity helped students understand that "not all insects are harmful, but many of them are essential for the survival of ecosystems", describing the initiative as both a practical ecological intervention and a "living laboratory" for learning.
The structure has been placed in a sheltered area within the school grounds to ensure suitable conditions for insects. According to Irini Dioudi, a teacher in the Department of Informatics, students monitor the project's progress, record the species observed, maintain the installation, and develop collaboration and environmental awareness skills. The school also operates a greenhouse and has adopted composting practices using plant and household organic waste, as part of a broader educational approach focused on environmental responsibility.
by Nikos Avoukatos - adapted from Greek by Vassia Barba
