Otonga Rd Primary School pupils build critter city

Otonga Rd Primary School students with their designated bug area. Danica Summer (left), 7, Elena Burns, 7, Connor Scott, 7, and Jimmy McFarlane, 7. Photo/Ben Fraser

Crawling around in the gardens of Otonga Rd Primary School you may find cockroaches, weta, worms, and you'll definitely find children looking for them.

The school is in the process of creating a critter city; a place for bugs to live and pupils to explore.

Teacher Angela Donlon said it came about when a new garden was installed and the pupils would rifle through it looking for bugs. So she decided to create a designated area for them.

"Children needed a place to find bugs and it was meeting a need for those kids who were wanting to find them."

Critter city contains a worm farm, composting unit and stacks of bricks for the bugs to hide in.

Donlon said it was interactive.

"It's a place they can come and they're not going to get into trouble for moving things or picking them up," she said.

"It's going to be part of our science focus. We also have a butterfly area and herb and raised gardens."

Year 3 pupil Connor Scott, 7, said he had enjoyed digging for bugs in the area.

"I don't always like sitting in a classroom or a desk all day. I like being out in the fresh air. It reminds me of the farm [I live on]."

Jimmy McFarlane, 7, said he liked watching the bugs in the bug hotel.

Bunnings Warehouse also helped the school set up the city, Donlon said.

"They happened to want a community project and came and visited us. They brought the people to help construct and gather stuff to fill it," Donlon said.

"We're really grateful for Bunnings and also the school community support, they are dropping things off all the time.

"Connor summed it up. Not all kids want to sit at a desk but it's still learning."