Pupils at Writhlington School are celebrating winning Best Amateur Exhibit and a Gold Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society, at the European Orchid Show, held in London over the Easter holidays.

Pupils planned a display that featured diverse orchid species grown at the school, along with education activities and information about their conservation work in Africa.

Seventeen-year-old Zoe Barnes described the design: "We wanted to showcase our project and so built a working propagation laboratory for the public to try micro-propagation techniques, as well as designing boards to describe our research."

The plant display that was commended by judges for the quality of specimen plants was supported by a special app designed by fourteen-year-old James Stewart, who explained: "The app linked plants on the display to how the plants grow in the wild, as well as how we grow them at school."

Students were joined by two of their partners from Rwanda, Nathan Kabanguka, who lectures at the Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management, and Tonny Kasinja, Head of Science at FAWE School in Kigali. Nathan and Tonny presented their orchid conservation work with students in Rwanda. Writhlington Teacher, Simon Pugh-Jones, described the event as a great success. "As well as winning awards, the show gives students the opportunity to link up with scientists from our partner organisations, such as Kew Gardens, Cambridge Botanic Gardens and Kent University, to plan future collaborations in science and conservation."

The next European Orchid Show will be held in Paris in 2018, but those who don't want to wait that long can visit the Writhlington Orchid Project for the Summer Orchid Festival on June 27th, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.