When sponsoring pollinator-biodiversity related initiatives within your local community ensure your business sponsorship is eliciting an All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) evidence-based action and include the following:

• Always retain existing biodiversity areas e.g., Avoid removing a meadow to plant native trees.
• Ensure ongoing pollinator-friendly management of habitats is considered.

Consider the following 8 steps as part of your decision-making process:

Step 1: Review the ‘Recommended sponsorship activities’ table Page 24 of Businesses: actions to help pollinators.

Sponsorship by smaller SMEs and microenterprises could take the form of allowing employees to participate for one day a year in a community pollinator activity e.g., bulb or tree planting. 

Step 2: Review the Procurement table (Products/plants and services) Page 29 of Businesses: actions to help pollinators.

Step 3: Find out what is already happening in your local area through the local Biodiversity Officer and check out the Local Biodiversity Action Plan.

Step 4: Recommend the AIPP specific evidence-based actions for the community group you choose:

• Local Communities
• Sports Clubs – e.g., engage directly with a local GAA Club who follow the Green Clubs Tool kit (Biodiversity). N.B. The AIPP and the National Biodiversity Data Centre worked with the GAA on the Biodiversity section.
• Schools also check out other sponsorship through Biodiversity in Schools (Pollinator Project and Outdoor Classroom).
• Golf Courses and Faith Communities 
• There may also be opportunities to support Residents’ Associations and Business Parks for pollinators.

Step 5: Invite the community group to follow the AIPP recommended: Top Ten pollinator-friendly plants for different situations and the Pollinator-friendly planting Code.

• Or suggest ‘thematic’ places for pollinators car parks, herb, moon (Page 9), rain or sensory garden / planters. Read more here: Communities » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (pollinators.ie).
• Suggest they choose alternatives to pesticides, herbicides and insecticides by reviewing the Pesticide Alternatives: A Summary.

Step 6: Invite the community group to make contact with their local Tidy Towns Committee and participate as part of a wider ecological corridor, in the Local Authority ‘Pollinator Award’ judged by AIPP. Tidy Towns submission date is normally the first week of June annually so consider approaching a group in March.

Step 7: As KPIs encourage the community group to map their actions on – Actions for Pollinators (biodiversityireland.ie) GIS and to do Friday FIT Counts (Flower Insect Timed Counts – entry level/no experience necessary) to see if the actions you are sponsoring are working over time.

Step 8: Marketing & PR – sponsorship with a pollinator-biodiversity focus

Consider the sponsorship as an annual initiative in which your business participates to create momentum over time. In this move towards nature-positive do consider aligning with the AIPP Key Campaigns & Messages 2025 (abridged), published annually in January, and follow us on socials X:@PollinatorPlan and Insta: @allirelandpollinatorplan. Consider key pollinator dates such as: World Bee Day (20 May), Biodiversity Week (May) etc.

 

National sponsorship or funding national pollinator research

If your business is considering national sponsorship check out Action 24 (Page 25) of Businesses: actions to help pollinators. If thinking about funding pollinator research review Action 33 on Page 29 of Businesses: actions to help pollinators.

REMEMBER

Why we don’t recommend wildflower seed mixes » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (pollinators.ie)

Remember sowing wildflower seed mixes as an ornamental meadow/strip using e.g., seed ball type products/packets or bulk purchases, is not a pollinator-biodiversity action. Non-native mixes may contain Black Grass potentially devastating for our agricultural land. Native mixes may have a high percentage of annuals and may need re-sown the following year.

Instead, encourage reduced mowing AND lift the cuttings to support ~1400 species of invertebrates Page 6 comparison table How-to-guide: Creating and restoring meadows

Choose an alternative action to honeybee hives

Managing honeybee hives is not a biodiversity action. The honeybee is a managed pollinator and not under threat on the island. To have a hive is a wonderful hobby, but, increasing numbers may create competition for food.