During the BioBlitz, pupils identified the different species of plants in the residence gardens using the iNaturalist app.
The audit was led by St George’s Eco committee, which on Tuesday also gifted and inaugurated an insect hotel in the residence gardens.
British ambassador Fleur Thomas invited the youngsters to the city centre property in a bid to attract more nature to the gardens and discuss the November 2021 COP26 Climate Conference, which the UK will preside over. The two-week summit will be hosted in Glasgow Scotland and will welcome representatives from all countries, as well as activists and scientists.
Biodiversity under threat
Scientists predict that between a third and a half of all species found on Earth will face extinction by the end of the century. According to Earth Justice, an environmental law organisation, “Their disappearance will upend ecosystems and destabilise human civilisation. To sustain earth’s biodiversity, we’ll need new protections and better enforcement of the existing ones. We have about a decade to achieve urgent, transformative change.”
While St George’s is an active member of the Eco-Schools network, the British embassy is organising #LetzPledge, a campaign to encourage civil society and business leaders to make personal pledges to protect and restore the natural environment.