Newsletter: November 2024
The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a framework bringing together different sectors across the island of Ireland to create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive. Its implementation is coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
To spot this month: keep an eye out for queen bumblebees
The normal lifecycle of most Irish bumblebees ends when the workers and males die off and the newly mated queens hibernates through the colder winter months. Occasionally, at this time of year you can still see some bumblebee queens fattening up for hibernation. If you spot any queen bumblebees that you’re able to identify, it’s very useful to let us know what plant it was feeding on. Last November, queens were observed feeding on Ivy and on garden plants like Mahonia, Comfrey and Hebe. Photo below is the Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Joe Curtis).
To do this month: plant bare root fruit trees
Bare-root fruit trees are generally cheaper to buy than potted trees, and the time to buy and plant them is from November to March. Consider adding a small orchard to your garden, local community, business site or farm.
As well as containing some of our rare heritage fruit tree varieties, a small orchard can be valuable for biodiversity. They’re made up of several habitats, including elements of woodland, hedgerow and meadow. This mosaic of habitats is home to a range of biodiversity, including bees, butterflies, birds, bats, mosses, beetles, fungi and lichen. Windfallen fruit is also a vital source of food in autumn and winter for a whole range of wildlife. Species-rich grassland beneath the trees can be a haven for pollinators and biodiversity, especially if they contain the native, naturally occurring wildflowers.
Pollinators like wild bees, hoverflies and moths have a vital ‘pollination service’ role in orchards, with almost all fruit resulting from pollination by a bee or other insect. In turn, fruit trees provide nectar and pollen, essential for the survival of these important insects.
Tidy Towns Pollinator Award 2024
The winners of the 2024 Tidy Towns Pollinator Award have been announced. The Pollinator Award has run since 2016 as a Special Award in the annual Supervalu Tidy Towns awards. It is administrated by the local authority Heritage and Biodiversity Officer network and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. The aim of the award is to encourage and reward pollinator-friendly actions by Tidy Towns groups in line with the recommendations of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. Each winner is awarded a prize of €1,000.
Sneem Tidy Towns were the overall winners this year. Ballymun Tidy Towns were awarded ‘best newcomer’, and regional awards were given to Athboy Tidy Towns, Clonmel Tidy Towns, Kilsheelan Tidy Towns, Raheny Tidy Village Group, Oranmore Tidy Towns, and Belmullet Tidy Towns/ Baile Slachtmhar Bhéal an Mhuirthead.
The quality of applications this year was so high in 2024 that eight further Tidy Towns were highly commended for their work for pollinators. Huge congratulations to all the winners and highly commended towns.
Photo: Sneem River Walk (Sneem Tidy Towns).
Green Flag Pollinator Awards 2024
The 2024 Green Flag Awards have been announced by An Taisce Environmental Education, after a record-breaking year. The 2024 Green Flag Awards celebrate the recognition of Ireland’s best parks and green spaces.
Three of the 2024 applicants were given a special award for their work supporting pollinating insects. The Pollinator Award is jointly run by An Taisce Environmental Education and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. This award works by assessing pollinator-friendly management of parks and community green spaces. These are scored against the recommendations of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
In the Republic of Ireland, this year’s Green Flag Pollinator Plan Award overall winner was Tralee Bay Wetlands Eco & Activity Park in Kerry, who also won in the Town Park category. The two other winners were Ballycroy Visitor Centre, Wild Nephin National Park (Country Park/ Demesne winner), and Sneem Garden of the Senses (Community Garden winner).mSeven further parks were highly commended due to the quality of their applications. Congratulations to the winners and highly commended parks.
In Northern Ireland, the Green Flag for Parks award is run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Read more about their winners here.
Blog: Where do pollinators go in winter?
Learn more in this blog from Ruth Wilson, the farmland pollinator officer, on what happens to our pollinating insects in winter.
Research blog: Pollinators and Irish Crops
We know that pollinators are important. About 90% of all flowering plants have some kind of relationship with pollinators to help them reproduce. Our natural environment would be totally different without these precious insects.
Pollinators also play a crucial role in pollinating the food we eat. Estimates suggest that 75% of all crops we grow globally require pollinators in some way. This includes things like fruits, nuts, seeds, plants used to make oils, coffee, chocolate. Our diets would look very different if it weren’t for pollinators. But what is the situation in Ireland? Learn more from Dr Dara Stanley, Lecturer in Applied Entomology in the School of Agriculture and Food Science, and Earth Institute at University College Dublin.
