Pupils at Bentley CE Primary School created a wildlife garden to honour Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday.

Teacher and sustainability lead Emma Jones said they were “passionate about nature” and had been helping her make the school grounds more wild for several years.

In 2023 the school joined the National Education Nature Park programme, a Department for Education, Natural History Museum and Royal Horticultural Society initiative to encourage schools to develop their grounds for nature.

But Butterfly Conservation’s declaration of a butterfly emergency in 2024 accelerated the school’s plans and spurred the pupils into action.

Emma said: “The Butterfly Emergency gave me the chance to show the children how they could turn something negative, like the decline in butterflies, into positive action.”

With help from the school’s Eco Council a competition was launched for the children to design a garden to encourage wildlife, especially pollinators. Thirteen designs were chosen, created by children from each class. In the spring of 2025 they began planning the final design.

Emma said: “There had previously been a lovely garden on the site and the school was keen to ensure that this was incorporated into the garden. No idea was deemed too challenging, including a butterfly-shaped raised bed and a model village of Bentley for bugs!

“The garden has taken a year to create and has grown into a lovely community project, with local residents and businesses kindly sharing their skills, time and resources. This includes the Alton’s Men’s Shed, who designed and made the fantastic model bug village of Bentley.

“Nearly 40 children have participated in the garden’s creation, including the school’s Nature Guardians and Eco Council.

“What started out as a response to the butterfly emergency has blossomed into a space not just for butterflies but also a place where members of the school community can come to connect with nature, learn and experience the awe and wonder of the natural world.”

Eleanor, one of the school’s Nature Guardians and garden designers, said: “I especially liked planting the wildflowers because it was peaceful and calming.”

Nearly two years after the butterfly emergency was announced, The Attenborough Garden was opened on May 8 as part of the school’s Attenborough Day, which celebrated Sir David’s 100th birthday.

After welcoming speeches and a prayer by Revd Ogilvie Thompson, Fiona Scully from Butterfly Conservation cut a ribbon to open the garden.

Guests were treated to garden poetry plus poems and words written by some of the young gardeners which were inspired by the garden.

The Attenborough Garden is for everyone at the school to enjoy, from having outdoor science lessons to hearing stories in the gazebo.

Emma said: “Naming the garden after Sir David Attenborough was a unanimous decision across the school community and a wonderful way to celebrate his 100th birthday.

“Over the years the garden will undoubtedly have a positive impact on every visitor, from butterflies to children.

“However, its lasting legacy will be that it will inspire future scientists, naturalists and conservationists, just as Sir David Attenborough has done for decades.”