YOUNG apprentices in Barry are busy protecting wildlife as part of a campaign supported by The Co-Op.

Welsh Wildlife Heroes is a national campaign run by Wildlife Trusts Wales and funded entirely by the money collected from the single-use carrier bag charge in Co-Operative food stores and pharmacies in Wales.

The focus of the campaign is supporting native species and improving habitats for some of Wales’ rarest and most endangered wildlife, and empowering the people of Wales to become wildlife heroes themselves by taking small steps in their gardens or local communities.

People can pledge to feed birds, create a home for wildlife, plant a wildflower garden or dig a pond.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales manages Cadoxton Ponds nature reserves, a 35 acre site which sits adjacent to Dow Corning’s manufacturing areas, with an education building suitable for school and group educational visits.

Apprentices at Dow Corning jumped at the chance to build a bug hotel for a local school when Catherine Lewis, the Education Officer at Cadoxton Ponds, asked for their help.

They designed a small mammal and bug hotel, building the frame work from recycled materials. This will then be taken to a local school for final assembly in their own wildlife garden. The school children will then provide the finishing touches filling the gaps with lots of wildlife friendly material for creatures to shelter and live in.

Catherine Lewis, Education Officer for The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, said: “The apprentices at Dow Corning have shown that wildlife and industry can co-exist side by side.

"Thanks to them, garden wildlife around the Barry area will be benefitting from their new five star luxury winter accommodation. We’re very grateful to The Co-Operative who continue to support our work with communities to teach them about the importance of nature.

“Right from agreeing a design, through to scavenging for the materials and then the final build stage, the apprentices had to work as a team to get things completed. They had to overcome challenges as they went along and all said what a worthwhile and enjoyable exercise it was. They are looking forward to delivering the bug hotel to the school to see the children putting on the finishing touches.”

The Co-Operative Membership Manager for Wales, Ashley Drake, said: “The Welsh Wildlife Heroes project is a fantastic opportunity to engage our members and local communities with the wonderful wildlife that exists across Wales.

"By encouraging local people to get involved with a host of exciting projects and volunteer to help the work of Wildlife Trusts Wales, The Co-operative shows how the 5p levy can benefit Welsh communities and their natural environment.”