Metal sculptures on show at park to celebrate Insect Week

To celebrate Insect Week, students from South Staffordshire College who are studying motor vehicle studies have been working with Cronimet, a Cannock-based company that recycles scrap stainless steel, to make insects and bugs out of scrap metal.

The students have learned various metal working skills, which have enabled them to produce the sculptures for display in the garden of the signal box in Hednesford Park.

Councillor Andrea Muckley, portfolio leader for environment and climate change on Cannock Chase District Council, said: “The artwork produced by the students is magnificent.

"This project has highlighted the issue of climate change to the students in a creative way.

"They have learnt a new skill, and recycled scrap metal into something amazing.”

Insect Week is a national campaign run by the Royal Entomological Society, whose aim is to encourage people of all ages to learn more about insects.

With over 24,000 species of insects in the UK alone, the week is to showcase the vital role that insects play in conservation, food production, medicine and ecology.

The project was inspired from a collaboration with an organisation called RicNic.

RicNic puts young people in the spotlight by giving them complete control of their creativity.

It supports participants to fulfil their potential through a range of free projects.

The 2022-23 project ‘Where the Bees Fly’ focuses on how we can see our impact on climate change through bees.

Bees are vulnerable to some parasites that thrive in warm temperatures.

One of the effects of climate change is the increase in temperatures and less cold seasons.

These high temperatures mean that bees are at greater risk of diseases and parasites now than they were before due to climate change.