Scouts BSA builds ‘Bug Hotel’ for Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Education Center

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center had added a new tool to its Education Center with the help of an Amarillo scout.

The aptly named Bug Hotel is for an array of insects like wasps, bees and spiders.

“It provides insects with a place to reproduce, so that helps the plants grow for the ones that pollinate and the rest are food for smaller animals, so it helps the food chain,” said Meredith Flake, Scouts BSA scout for Troop 4086.

These insects play a vital role in the ecosystem no matter how little they are or what they are.

“With bees you know how important they are, but a lot of people don’t think about the beetles and the other pollinators and you know the different insects that are native to this area, and to also learn that it’s a place for solitary ones that don’t have a mate,” said Stephanie Brady, Founder/Executive Director for Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

This was put together as a part of Flake’s Eagle Scout Project, which pushes the younger generation to help their community in different ways.

Several family members and fellow scouts helped Meredith along the way.

“The first day it was at my uncle’s shop, and so he like let us use the tools and stuff to actually build it. So that was just my family, and then the second day it was me and a lot of my family and some of my other scouts,” said Flake.

Brady says the new attraction will be a vital education piece for the thousands of school kids who visit them every year.

“We’ll be able to walk them down to it and educate them on the purpose, cause we can’t forget about the little guy. A lot of us don’t give it much thought, we see a bug and step on it and think, ‘Ew, why is it here?’ but there is purpose for everything,” said Brady.

The younger generation is doing their part and taking their turn to step up and give back.

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