Bright Horizons nurseries buzzing over pioneering bumblebee-friendly initiative for pre-schoolers

Bright Horizons Nursery and Pre-Schools are buzzing after establishing a pioneering collaboration with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust which introduces the UK’s first Bumblebee-Friendly Early Years awards scheme across 24 of its nurseries. 

The pilot is the first of its type aimed at pre-school children and is building on the successes of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's Bumblebee-Friendly Schools Award for children of school age. As part of this exciting initiative, each participating nursery has received a specially curated Bumblebee-Friendly Early Years box. These are filled with resources to help children learn about bumblebees, biodiversity, and the natural world.

The programme is designed to inspire a love of nature from a young age while supporting vital conservation efforts.  The nurseries are now working towards achieving the Bumblebee-Friendly Early Years award. This is a unique recognition that celebrates environmental education and sustainable practices in the Early Years sector.

This initiative is closely aligned with the Bright Horizons Nurture Approach®, which places emotional wellbeing, holistic learning, and inspirational teaching at the heart of every child’s experience. 

“This is a truly special collaboration,” said Heidi Hill, Head of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Standards at Bright Horizons. ‘We are thrilled to be the first Early Years provider to collaborate with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust on an initiative that not only supports biodiversity but also enriches children’s learning experiences.’ The scheme will be fully rolled out by the end of this month [October].  

Nurseries are already engaging in hands-on activities such as planting pollinator-friendly gardens, exploring the lifecycle of bumblebees, and learning how to protect their habitats.

Andy Benson, Skills for BeeWalk and Education Manager of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, added: ‘We are delighted to be extending our Bumblebee-Friendly Awards to include Early Years and are extremely grateful to Bright Horizons and their practitioners for all of their support and creativity in the creation of this award, ensuring it has maximum impact for children and bumblebees.’ 

This initiative represents a significant step forward in embedding sustainability and conservation into Early Years education. It sets a precedent for others in the sector to follow.