School express 'deep disappointment' at loss of bug hotel on the Kilkenny-Waterford border
Gardaí say the Ink Bottle Bug Hotel was destroyed sometime between midnight and 7:30am on Sunday, September 14. Credit: Keep Piltown Tidy on Facebook.
Piltown National School has said they are “deeply disappointed” to learn of the destruction of the Ink Bottle Bug Hotel, vandalised on Sunday.
In a post on social media, the school said they know how much work went into building the bug hotel and what it means to the community.
“So much time, energy and passion was invested in this project by Piltown Tidy Towns, and it had become a feature admired and enjoyed by so many in our community and beyond. We sincerely hope it can be restored to its former glory.
“The Tidy Towns Committee has shown Trojan commitment in enhancing our school environment, and we are extremely grateful for their continued efforts and support,” wrote the school.
The school says respect for property and all living things is of the utmost importance.
They called for the community to work together to protect projects like the bug hotel.
“In school, we dedicate a great deal of time to educating our children about the importance of respecting property and caring for all living things. As parents are, and always will be, their child’s first moral educators and strongest influencers, we trust that this vital message of respect is also echoed and reinforced at home.
“Let us work together as a community to ensure that projects like the Bug Hotel – which bring learning, beauty and joy – are protected and valued,” wrote the school.
Gardaí are appealing for information on the incident, which they are treating as criminal damage.
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said on Monday that the incident happened between midnight and 7:30am on Sunday, September 14.
They ask that if anyone has information, they contact the Piltown Garda Station or call the confidential line 1800 666 111.
The Ink Bottle Bug Hotel is a redevelopment project of the old gate lodge at Belline House, earlier this year.
The bug hotel was built by Keep Piltown Tidy and was sponsored by Centra Hicksons and John O’Shea Trust.
Bug hotels are structures that give insects a place to shelter while breeding or hibernating and are a way of protecting wildlife, in particular pollinators, from predators and the elements.
The Ink Bottle had five layers for all sorts of insects and a section for nesting birds and bats.
Keep Piltown Tidy said on social media that they are “disappointed and hurt” by the incident.
