Aberdeen nursery recognised with national Bumblebee-Friendly Award for hands-on eco learning

Bright Horizons 24 St Swithin Day Nursery and Pre-School in Aberdeen has been awarded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s Bumblebee-Friendly Early Years Award, recognising its commitment to supporting pollinators and raising awareness of biodiversity among young children. 

The Bumblebee-Friendly Schools Award encourages early years settings and schools to take practical action to protect bumblebees and their habitats, while embedding environmental learning into everyday activities and engaging children, families and the wider community. 

As part of its work towards the award, the nursery introduced a range of hands-on, child-led activities designed to bring learning about nature to life, such as a story-based approach which was used to engage the children, with each chapter linked to a different activity. 

The nursery also enhanced its outdoor space by planting bumblebee-friendly flowers at the front of the nursery, alongside the council donating five additional planters within the local community to support pollinators. Families were also encouraged to get involved, with children sharing photos of plants they were growing at home. 

A One Planet picnic formed a key part of the initiative, with children and staff growing their own food to enjoy together. The nursery also makes regular visits to Wonder Woodland, where children explore nature, look for wildlife and take part in litter picking activities. 

Alongside the Bumblebee Award activity, the nursery is involved in a range of wider eco-friendly initiatives. These include participating in local council schemes such as spring bulb planting, organising regular litter picks and annual beach cleans, and taking part in a 24-hour litter picking event. The nursery is also supporting the Meadow in a Box initiative, which helps to increase biodiversity in areas with limited green space, and has plans to grow and sell plants within the community. 

Looking ahead, the team plans to create an herb garden that can be used both as part of children’s play and learning, and to provide fresh ingredients for the nursery chef. 

Through its environmental activities, the nursery aims to educate children, parents and staff on sustainable practices, while encouraging nurturing behaviours and supporting mental wellbeing. 

Helen, Nursery Manager at Bright Horizons 24 St Swithin, said: “We are incredibly proud to have achieved the Bumblebee-Friendly Schools Award. It has been fantastic to see how engaged the children have been in learning about bumblebees and the environment, and how this has extended into their homes and the wider community. These activities not only help children understand the importance of caring for the world around them, but also support their wellbeing and development through meaningful, hands-on experiences.” 

At Bright Horizons, teams like 24 St Swithin are helping to shape a greener future for children and communities. Find out more about our Future Earth Programme and how sustainability sits at the heart of everything we do.