Team Lingue IH Merate|Como|Lecco started environmental awareness activities with their students over three years ago.
In the school, they installed a recycling corner and encouraged their young students to reuse, recycle and repurpose objects. For these initiatives, and many others, Team Lingue IH Merate|Como|Lecco were awarded the International House “Protecting our Planet” badge in 2021.
In 2022, they continued this drive with their Summer Camps inspired by the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2023, this is being taken further with projects around their locality to encourage more insect biodiversity. Their aim is to give insects a rich and diverse environment supporting the full local ecosystem.
Insects may be small, but they are at the heart of our ecosystems and most food production on the planet. They pollinate flowers which provide food for other animals and for humans, and they are food themselves for birds and many other animals. Without diverse and healthy insect populations many animals, including humans, will suffer.
Team Lingue IH Merate|Como|Lecco have taken over the management of the two largest roundabouts in their local town and have designed a flowery meadow with help from an agronomist. This is to include native local plants, which will thrive in the local conditions, and which will encourage indigenous local insects. They will also be more pleasant for local residents as they drive past.
This picture is a “before” …. We’ll have to wait until later in the summer to see the plants thriving. There is also a plan to introduce a small hotel for insects in the roundabouts, a structure in wood and cardboard that will provide our little friends with an even more protected and safe place.
In the grounds of the school, the team have involved students in planting sunflowers and basil. Watching them grow over the summer should be very motivating! You can follow their progress on the Team Lingue website here.
We wish the team all the best with these projects, and we hope the insect life around Merate will flourish!