Dr Úna FitzPatrick 

Úna is the Chief Scientific Officer in the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC). In 2015, she co-founded the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan with Prof Jane Stout (Trinity College Dublin) and was lead author on the AIPP 2026-2030. She maintains strategic oversight of the AIPP and ensures that it integrates with wider work on pollinator monitoring within the NBDC. She also chairs the island-wide AIPP Steering Group.

 

 

Dr Sarah Larragy – Programme Manager

Sarah joined the National Biodiversity Data Centre as Programme Manager of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan in June 2026. In this role, she supports the team of six Pollinator Officers in delivering the objectives and work packages of the Plan’s 2026–2030 phase. Sarah’s background is in pollinator ecology. She completed her PhD at Maynooth University in 2023, where she researched bumblebees under the supervision of Dr James Carolan and Prof Jane Stout. She then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Trinity College Dublin on the EU-funded RestPoll project, a stakeholder-driven project about restoring habitats for pollinators in agricultural settings. This position is funded by the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

 

 

 

Kate Chandler – Communities Pollinator Officer

Kate started as Communities Pollinator Officer in 2022 and supports the delivery of the Buzzing Communities work package, working with community groups, sports clubs, schools, faith communities and gardeners to transform the local landscape for pollinators. Kate has a background in community engagement in the heritage and conservation sector in Ireland and the UK. This All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Project Officer position has been funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

 

Patrick Doran – Farmland Pollinator Officer

Patrick started as Farmland Officer in February 2026 to support the delivery of the Protecting Farmland Pollinators work package. Patrick has a farming background, being from a beef and tillage farm in Co. Wexford and has also worked in the conservation sector as a ranger and ecologist supporting landowners with meadow restoration, heathland recovery and conservation grazing projects. The Pollinator Plan Farmland Officer position is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

 

Joshua Clarke – Rare Species Pollinator Officer

Josh joined the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan team in March 2026. As Rare Species Pollinator Officer, Josh monitors and raises awareness of Ireland’s rarest and most endangered wild pollinators. This new role further celebrates the importance of semi-natural habitats for wild pollinator conservation and will support nature reserves in taking pollinator action. Josh comes to this role with a decade in conservation, consultancy, and research. This role is funded by the Shared Island Initiative (National Parks and Wildlife Service and Northern Ireland Environment Agency).

 

Pat Fitzmaurice – Farmland Pollinator Officer
Pat started as Farmland Pollinator Officer in 2026. His role is to support and engage with farmers and landowners to become pollinator friendly under the farmland actions in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. Pat has a background in farmer and community engagement and has worked previously with the CorncrakeLIFE Project as Community Engagement Officer. This All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Farmland Pollinator Officer position has been funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

 

 

Sarah Kelly – Business & Biodiversity Officer

Sarah joined the team in 2021 to assist in the implementation of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan actions related to businesses. She also represents the National Biodiversity Data Centre on the Business for Biodiversity Ireland ‘Nature Accelerator Programme’. Sarah’s experience ranges from running all island business development projects for the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, to running her own B2B consultancy supporting companies through marketing research and sales lead development, to managing a cross-border capital project to establish Catalyst Inc. Ltd. (formerly the Northern Ireland Science Park) in the North-West of the island. More recently she worked on the production side of things in the TV industry. From 2021-2023 this position was co-funded by Bord Bia and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Since 2024 it has been funded by the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

 

Emma King – Local Authorities & Public Bodies Pollinator Officer

Emma started as Local Authorities and Public Bodies Pollinator Officer in 2026 to support the Local Authorities and Public Bodies – making public land pollinator friendly work package in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. Previously, Emma completed her PhD in ecology from Trinity College Dublin. This All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Pollinator Officer position has been funded by the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund.

 

Jon Ryder – Pollinator Monitoring Research Assistant

Jon started in his role as Pollinator Monitoring Research Assistant in mid 2026 with support from the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund. Based at the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, he’s responsible for surveying pollinator activity across Northern Ireland under both EU and UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme methodology. He has a background in insect disease ecology, having previously combined field surveys with experimental work to test models of disease spread.