Wild Flowers Growing Here – Pollinators in the Park

In 2015 Ireland joined a small number of countries in Europe who have developed a strategy to address pollinator decline and protect pollination services.

Sixty-eight governmental and non-governmental organisations agreed a shared plan that identifies 81 actions to make Ireland pollinator friendly between now and 2020. Implementation of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020 is coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre and funded by The Heritage Council and Bord Bia.

The plan proposes taking specific actions across five objectives. Within each objective targets have been set and actions have been identified to help achieve that target.

1. Making Ireland pollinator friendly (farmland, public land, and private land)
2. Raising awareness of pollinators and how to protect them
3. Managed pollinators – supporting beekeepers and growers
4. Expanding our knowledge on pollinators and pollination service
5. Collecting evidence to track change and measure success

The plan provides an important framework to bring together pollinator initiatives from the North and South and is the start of a process by which we can collectively take positive steps to protect our pollinators and the service they provide into the future. It is a shared plan of action. By working together we can reverse pollinator losses and help restore populations to healthy levels.

Additional information available on www.biodiversityireland.ie

Here at Fota Wildlife Park, we are trying to increase the number of pollinators in the park by adding more dedicated areas for wildflowers. These areas are signposted and we ask all our visitors to help us maintain these pollinator-friendly flowers and not pick the flowers while visiting the park.

If you wish to help provide food for your local bees, why not create a wildflower strip in your garden where you let dandelions, clover, and birds-foot-trefoil flower. Or instead of planting daffodils and tulips, why not choose crocuses, snowdrops, and other pollinator-friendly plants? For more tips and a list of pollinator-friendly plants see www.pollinators.ie