NI's Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Edwin Poots MLA has launched a scheme specifically for schools to improve the health of our bees and pollinators and help protect our eco-systems.

DAERA Minister Edwin Poots has visited a Lisburn and District Scout Council woodland project outside Lisburn which has benefited from Rural Community Pollinator Scheme funding to improve accessibility to the existing woodland.

The £2million scheme will provide grants between £3,000 and £12,000 to schools to create or enhance a pollinator garden and will be delivered by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

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Speaking at launch of the scheme at Carr Primary School, Lisburn, Minister Poots said: "Following the outstanding success of the Rural Community Pollinator Scheme and the interest shown by schools, I have asked my officials to develop a scheme specifically for schools across Northern Ireland. Everyone is aware of the importance of our pollinators - the butterflies, moths, hoverflies, some beetles, flies, wasps but most importantly bees - and I believe it is important to educate our young people of the important role these pollinators play in our everyday life. With this scheme I hope to build on the success of the community based scheme.

"The scheme will provide grant aid towards establishing or enhancing pollinator gardens in schools, both urban and rural. Together with the previous scheme it will see my Department investing just over £3.5m to improve the habitat for pollinators, open up shared space and educate our communities and young people of the importance of pollinators."