Blog

Moths can be found anywhere, from the tops of mountains to the edges of sandy shores, on our farms and in our gardens. They play an important part in our landscape, interacting with many plants and animals. In Ireland, we … Continued

Andrew Malcolm spent the last year recording the Hoverflies that visit his garden and his findings illustrate the great diversity that can result from reduced mowing I was one of those lucky few people who was quite happy when they … Continued

Thanks to Rachel McKenna, from Co. Offaly, who sent in this account of the amazing meadow and ‘summer spiral’ created this year in her garden – by simply reducing grass-cutting. The result is pretty to look at, allows a meandering … Continued

Tom Butler, Chair of Ballincollig Tidy Towns, explains how they created a pollinator corridor through their community   Ballincollig is located on the western side of Cork and up until 2019 was part of the County of Cork. With a … Continued

Botanist Dr Noeleen Smyth explains why the word ‘wild’ should be removed from those ubiquitous wildflower seed packets popping up in every store   Spring fever has gripped, I have just moved house, and am full of enthusiasm for my … Continued

I am often asked, “should I plant wildflower seed?” My answer is always that pollinators themselves would say “no”. Would I sow wildflower seed in my own garden? I might put some in a patio pot, but there is absolutely … Continued

We are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to coordinate the implementation of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) 2015-2020. Through management of this initiative on biodiversity conservation, and through working in collaboration with all our partners, we have learned … Continued

– Rethinking the wildflower meadow By Yvonne Buckley, Professor of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin There’s something madly romantic about a sea of poppies and cornflowers shimmering in a summer breeze. We imagine lazing in this mirage of a wildflower meadow, … Continued