First News: Biggest bug hotel

First News is a 28-page weekly newspaper for young people delivered into homes across the UK every Friday. Find out more at firstnews.co.uk/1free 

BIGGEST BUG HOTEL

The world's largest insect hotel has been built at Highland Titles Nature Reserve in Duror, Scotland.

The huge creation was built by a team of seven over the course of six months and measures an impressive 199.9 cubic metres.

The structure features felled Sitka spruce trees from an old forest plantation that wasn't good for biodiversity, as well as bamboo canes, bricks, forest bark, wood chippings and strawberry netting.

It's hoped that the hotel will become home to millions of insects such as ants, ladybirds, beetles, bees and butterflies. In turn, this will help to feed lots of other animals on the nature reserve.

Highland Titles Nature Reserve Manager, Stewart Borland, said he was "thrilled" to scoop a new Guinness World Record. He added: "It's a great way of getting the conservation message out there."

Doug Wilson from Highland Titles said: "Using these same trees for something that puts nature first symbolises that the world has changed, and we hope our efforts will inspire others."

YOUR NEWS

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Little Trooper

by Alisa Doyle

My Dad serves in the Royal Air Force. There are more than 100,000 military children like me who have parents serving in the British Armed Forces.

The picture above shows Alisa and her dad.

Being a military child can be quite different sometimes. My dad goes away for long periods of time and often misses events like birthdays and Christmas.