What are pollinators?
In 2015, the Island of Ireland launched its All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020. Pollinators play a key role in our ecosystems; providing pollination services for wildflowers and crops to ensure successful seed and fruit production and also with helping us monitor the overall health of our countryside.
DID YOU KNOW?
In Ireland, our main pollinator species include:
- 1 honeybee species
- 20 bumblebee species
- 77 solitary bee species
- 180 hoverfly species
33% of our native bumblebee species, 43% of our native solitary bee species and 20% of our native hoverfly species are threatened with extinction. This is due to hunger, homelessness, poisoning and other factors.
Project development
Wild Work is an initiative of SECAD. While working in the consultation phase of the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, SECAD highlighted an opportunity to engage with local communities. This led to SECAD being tasked with leading the development of a blueprint outlining how communities can make their local areas more pollinator friendly.
Wild Work’s Pollinator Project helps people to actively contribute to the re-development of interconnected wildlife and pollinator-friendly corridors that will help address pollinator decline and restore a healthy landscape. In delivering the project, Wild Work will engage with individuals, communities, businesses, farmers, schools and others.
Action and expected results
As well as delivering physical projects on the ground such as planted wildflower strips, managed wildflower meadows and nesting areas for bees, education and awareness is a key part of the project.
From garden to garden, field to field, business to business, school to school and town to town, we are making a difference.
Haulbowline Island Amenity Park
Haulbowline Island Amenity Park is a wonderful turnaround for the environment in terms of transforming a contaminated site into a healthy place for people, pollinators and other nature. The park includes 4km of harbour side walkways, a 1km jogging circuit and numerous seating areas to stop and take in the views of Cork Harbour.
Since 2018 the park has been a Wild Work “Pollinator Project” signature site. As well as managing habitats, Wild Work uses the park as an outdoor classroom for educating the public about nature. Wild Work has developed 4 different pollinator friendly habitat types within the park:
- Wildflower Meadow
- Wild Work Amenity Grassland
- Coastal Grassland
- Wet Grassland
Contributors to and supporters of the project include:
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We want to raise awareness of our Pollinator Project and make an important contribution to conservation in Ireland.
If you’d like to submit a species record for bee’s, butterflies, or other pollinators you have seen, then please visit our Citizen Science Portal.