INSPIRED by the work of Enviro Fixers Durban North, Ella Ferguson decided to get to work on assembling a bug hotel for the Bridgevale Park and Nature Reserve.

The seven floors of the hotel have an array of twigs, leafy material and bark neatly stacked with hidey-holes for all insects, big and small.
Ella said she hopes the bug hotel will attract bees, spiders and all sorts of insects, which she says are hugely important for biodiversity.

The Grade Seven learner at Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School (DSC) used an old wineglass box to help, and with the help of her family, constructed a roof for the hotel and even a ‘Vacancy’ sign.

“I admire the work the Enviro Fixers do in the community, and I love helping them in whatever way I can. I thought this would be a lovely project for my mom and I to do, and it only took a few hours to complete. Breaking the twigs and stacking them actually took longer,” she said. “As a family, we often go for walks in Bridgevale Park, and I thought, why not donate the bug hotel to help create more biodiversity and attract more insect life?”

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Ella said she was proud of how the final project turned out.

“It has made me feel happy, and it was an honour for me to do it for them. When Helen Koch, who is a member of Enviro Fixers, and my godmother, shared the pictures of the bug hotel online, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. I was so surprised and thrilled that people liked it. My hope now is that as many insects find their place in the hotel and move in soon,” she said.

Ella said she hopes to inspire others to try and do similar projects for the environment.

“For bug hotels in particular, it could be a fun family project, and you can create as many shapes and styles as you want. Helping the environment in any way we can is one small way we can make a difference,” she said.