Communities
How can Local Communities help Pollinators?
Community groups in cities, towns and villages have a vital role to play in creating a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive.
Whether your community has already taken action for pollinators, or is just getting started, you can find evidence-based advice on how to help pollinators in our free guidelines and online course designed especially for local communities.
Why are pollinators under threat?
On the island of Ireland, one third of our wild bees (bumblebees and solitary bees) are threatened with extinction. This is mainly because we’ve drastically reduced the habitats that provide them with food and shelter. Other factors include pesticides, pests and diseases, and climate change.
How can communities help?
To help these important insects, we need to ensure pollinators have food, shelter, and safety from chemicals. Local communities can play a huge part in creating an Ireland where pollinators can survive and thrive.
Data from the National Biodiversity Data Centre shows that local populations of pollinators are increasing where actions are being taken to help them. No matter the size or location of your community, urban or rural, you can make a difference. Join a network of pollinator-friendly places and help create a vital lifeline for these important insects.
Find out how to make your neighbourhood, town or village friendly with our free resources for community groups.
Online course: Managing Communities for Pollinators
This free course is aimed at community groups who are interested in making their community pollinator friendly. 20 lessons cover everything you need to know about how to help pollinators, from pesticide alternatives to plant lists, pollinator-friendly mowing tips to getting people involved.
Whether you’re already taking actions for pollinators or you’re just starting out, this is a great resource for any community rural or urban, large or small.
Enrol for free and study at your own pace: Managing Communities for Pollinators
Local Communities: Actions to Help Pollinators
Local Communities: Actions to Help Pollinators contains a range of simple actions any community can take, based on the latest scientific research.
There are 24 low cost (or no cost) actions to choose from, across seven themes:
- Identifying and protecting existing pollinator-friendly habitats
- Mowing less in grassy areas
- Pollinator-friendly planting
- Creating wild pollinator nesting habitat
- Eliminating or reducing pesticides
- Raising awareness of pollinators in your area
- Tracking progress and receiving recognition
Also featured in the guidelines:
- ‘Communities Actions For Pollinators Checklist’ to help track your progress.
- Community Pollinator Calendar, with tips on what you can do for pollinators in every month of the year.
- Answers to frequently asked questions including how to manage meadows, and why we don’t recommend wildflower seed mixes or honey bee hives for biodiversity.
- Pollinator-friendly planting lists, and links to further free resources.
Get started on your pollinator-friendly journey here: Local Communities: actions to help pollinators
Also available in Irish: Pobail Áitiúla: Gníomhartha ar son pailneoirí
For ideas and inspiration from communities who have taken action for pollinators, take a look at the Case Studies page.
Put Your Community on the Map
Have you already done work for pollinators? If so, add your community to our online map Actions for Pollinators.
This helps us track pollinator-friendly areas in the landscape. It can also show you who else is taking actions for pollinators in your community, and help you join the dots to create ecological corridors.
Tidy Towns Local Authority Pollinator Award
If you are a registered Tidy Towns group in the Republic of Ireland, you might consider applying for the Tidy Towns Local Authority Pollinator Award.
This annual Special Award encourages and rewards Tidy Towns groups who manage their communities in a pollinator-friendly way.
There is a total prize fund of €10,000, with prizes for best small and large town in every region, and a ‘Best Newcomer’ Award of €1,000.
For further details, information about previous winners and details of how to enter, visit our Tidy Towns pages here: Tidy Towns Pollinator Award
