PUPILS from Chard School had the chance to take part in hands-on workshops with a member of Butterfly Conservation.

Kate Merry visited the school last Friday to run workshops with years one to six and taught them about the lifecycles of butterflies and moths and how to tell the difference between them.

The children then planted nectarrich flowering plants and caterpillar food plants in one of the sunny flower beds in the school grounds to entice butterflies into the area.

They also had a chance to gaze at the hairy ‘woolly bear’ caterpillars of the Garden Tiger Moth that Kate brought in to show them.

She will return later in the term with a moth trap and other living specimens for the children to examine.

Schools science teacher Richard Lucas was so impressed with the workshops and the children’s enthusiasm that he plans to start a bug club to breed these beautiful and fascinating species.