A new booklet titled ‘Working Together for Biodiversity: Tales from the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020’ was published recently to mark the conclusion of the first phase of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan - an initiative founded by Dr. Úna FitzPatrick of the Irish National Biodiversity Data Centre and PoshBee researcher Prof. Jane Stout of Trinity College Dublin. The booklet was launched by the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform of Ireland, Malcolm Noonan.

The booklet comprises a number of success stories of actions taken throughout the first period of the execution of the plan, and stresses the big difference that small actions can make in relation to creating a pollinator-friendly environment. It showcases the collective contributions of farmers, local public authorities, transport infrastructure companies, local communities, schools and businesses.

Cover of the booklet on the key developments of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan

With more than 80 actions across all sectors, engaging 55% of all Councils in Ireland, as well as hundreds of local communities, and 280 businesses from different sectors, for the duration of its first phase the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan has achieved impressive results in widespread adoption of actions for the creation of a pollinator-friendly environment, thus becoming a cutting-edge national-level biodiversity conservation example.

"Although we have achieved much more than we could have imagined during the first phase of the Plan, pollinating insects are still in decline and so the second phase is more ambitious: we will have more partners, more actions, more support, more interaction internationally, more people on board, more nuanced guidance regarding actions, more monitoring of what’s being done and the populations of pollinators themselves. Our aim is still to create an Ireland where pollinators survive and thrive", says Prof. Jane Stout about the future actions planned for the second phase of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.  

Read the booklet here.