Imagine a world without apples, strawberries, almonds, or coffee. Sounds abstract? And yet a large part of the food we know from our everyday tables depends on the work of pollinators. Wild bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and other insects support plant reproduction, help maintain biodiversity, and are one of the quiet foundations of healthy ecosystems.
The problem is that pollinators are having an increasingly hard time today. Cities are losing the places where they can rest, nest, and find food. Uniformly trimmed lawns, paving over open spaces, removal of dry stems, and a lack of flowering plants mean that even the most hardworking insects don’t always have somewhere to live.
That is exactly why on 14 May we carried out the project “Pollinators to the Rescue! – a local action for the climate and biodiversity” in Warsaw. More than 30 pupils from a nearby primary school took part in educational workshops on the role of pollinators and then built 21 insect hotels with their own hands, which will be placed in public spaces across the city. This is a concrete action for urban biodiversity, but also an example of ecological education that doesn’t stop at theory. The children not only learned why pollinators matter, but were also able to immediately translate that knowledge into action and create something that will genuinely support wild insects in their immediate surroundings.
A City Can Be an Ecosystem
A city does not have to be a space cut off from nature. It can become a place where people, plants, and animals exist alongside one another. This requires, however, a change in the way we think about urban greenery, which should not be treated solely as an aesthetic addition, but as an important element of the environment.
Wildflower meadows, native plants, unmown patches of lawn, community gardens, green schools, and insect hotels are all elements of urban natural infrastructure. They create a network of small shelters, corridors, and food sources that help insects survive in an urbanised environment. Thanks to such solutions, the city can become more welcoming not only for people, but also for many other species.
Why Should Children Experience Ecology in Practice?
There are many ways to talk about the environment. You can show data, speak about threats, and explain the interdependencies in nature. That matters, but particularly in children’s education, experience carries enormous weight. That is why during the workshops participants did not only talk about the role of pollinators — they also immediately translated that knowledge into action, building real shelters for wild insects.
Such activities build a sense of agency. Instead of reinforcing feelings of helplessness in the face of climate change or biodiversity loss, they show that solutions begin with small steps: at school, in the yard, the park, or the neighbourhood. A child sees that their action has an effect and that they can do something good for nature with their own hands.
This is particularly important because children learn very quickly through observation and practice. If from an early age they see that nature deserves attention, they find it easier to carry that attitude into adult life. Ecological education is therefore not merely the transmission of knowledge. It is the shaping of habits, sensitivity, and responsibility.
Insect Hotels: Small Structures, Great Significance
Wild pollinators often nest alone. They use crevices in wood, hollow plant stems, natural nooks, or patches of bare ground. In the orderly, intensively developed urban environment, such places are becoming increasingly scarce, which is why a well-made insect hotel can become a substitute shelter for them.
It does not solve the whole problem, of course, but it is an important piece of a larger puzzle. It works best when accompanied by nectar-rich plants, limited mowing, access to green spaces, and the absence of chemical sprays. Insect hotels also have an educational dimension, showing that supporting nature does not always require major investment. Sometimes it begins with simple, well-thought-out actions that can be implemented at a school, in a garden, a park, or a housing estate.
Education That Lasts
The “Pollinators to the Rescue!” project shows that local actions can combine several important goals at once: education, biodiversity protection, community integration, and real change in the urban space. For children, taking part in such initiatives is not just an interesting lesson, but an experience that can change the way they look at their everyday surroundings.
A lawn is no longer just a lawn. A flower becomes a source of food. An insect is no longer something incidental, but part of a larger system on which the life around us depends. At One More Tree Foundation, we believe that this is exactly how genuine ecological education begins: with knowledge that leads to action, and action that builds responsibility.
The project was carried out with funding from the E.ON Foundation in Poland as part of the “E.ON Connects Energy for the Climate” grant programme.
