Welsh Baccalaureate Students have gone batty

Students at Merthyr Tydfil College are working towards the community participation element of the Welsh Baccalaureate, with the Cleaner Greener Communities project. The Keep Wales Tidy Project Officer for Merthyr Tydfil has a number of projects planned throughout the academic year which will help to improve the environment, provide the students with practical skills and be a fun activity whilst contributing to their education.

The latest project involved 16 enthusiastic BTEC First Diploma in IT students, erecting 9 bat boxes beside the Taff Trail in Rhyd y Car – the boxes having first been constructed by a different group of students undertaking the ICA in Carpentry course. These boxes will provide roosts for bats hunting for small flying insects like midges and mosquitoes along the river Taff.

Paul Kent Project Officer for Keep Wales Tidy commented “There are a lack of hollow trees in this area which are a natural roosting place for bats and the boxes will hopefully increase bat numbers. We will revisit the boxes in the spring to check how many were used.” He added “I would like to thank the students for their help in improving the habitat for the wildlife in the town centre”

The students thoroughly enjoyed the event and are looking forward to future projects including a river clean up and building an otter holt to encourage otters to take up residency on the river. Course tutor Christine Rees said “This is a win-win endeavour for all students involved, as not only do they gain invaluable experiences such as problem solving and team building which can be used in later life, but also an insight into environmental awareness on a local level – as well as having had a thoroughly enjoyable morning.