Blog

There are around 180 different species of Hoverfly in Ireland.  They are important pollinators of plants and crops, the second most important after wild bees.   Hoverflies may only live a few days to a few weeks, with many of … Continued

To introduce myself, my name is Alan Poole, formerly an ecologist and now an intensive dairy farmer from Gorey Co. Wexford. Also, on my team are, my wife Cheryl and 3 children. Last winter while doing some mundane job on … Continued

By Reg Richards, Whitechurch Parish     Since 2010, we at Whitechurch Parish (Church of Ireland) in Rathfarnham, Dublin, have been transforming the church grounds and graveyard into a bee-friendly area with very helpful literature from the National Biodiversity Data … Continued

By Joan Crawford, Mullingar Shamrocks Green Clubs Officer   Here in the Mullingar Shamrocks GAA Club we have been ‘as busy as bees’ making positive changes for the betterment of our flora, fauna, pollinators at large and biodiversity in general. … Continued

By Dr Noeleen Smyth   We would never tolerate the release of an exotic animal to our wider environment yet we appear happy to release packets of unregulated wildflowers. Just as we enjoy seeing exotic animals from all over the … Continued

Protecting Farmland Pollinators In 2019, the National Biodiversity Data Centre received funding through the Department of Agricultural, Food and the Marine for a five-year European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project called ‘Protecting Farmland Pollinators’. By working closely with a group of … Continued

By Dr. Jane Stout   We’re very proud that the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and its guidelines are ‘evidence based’. This means they are informed by scientific research into what is driving pollinator decline, what the consequences of pollinator loss are … Continued

By Dr Edward Straw, University College Dublin This blog is part of the ‘Dispatches from Researchers’ series, which features guest articles written by experts in pollination and related fields.   Bees are a beloved group of animals. Fuzzy, cute and … Continued

  It’s a perfect time of the year to celebrate our native hedgerows, as the early flowering Willow and Blackthorn fade, we are now being treated to an abundance of Hawthorn blossom. It’s a sure sign that spring is turning … Continued