 NEWSLETTER: JUNE 2020 |
| To do this month: make sure your garden doesn’t have any hunger gaps Try to make sure your garden has something flowering from March to October for pollinators to feed on. In mine, it’s currently the Clover in the lawn as well as various trees and shrubs (Laburnum, Lavender, Wallflower, Catmint). The bumblebees and solitary bees are earning their keep at the minute as they’re also very busy pollinating my fruit trees/bushes, strawberries, tomatoes and courgettes! Pollinator-friendly garden plants: https://pollinators.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/AIPP-Garden-Plants_A5-Flyer-PRINT.pdf Pollinator-friendly herbs: https://www.pollinators.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AIPP-Herbs-A5-Flyer-PRINT.pdf  To spot this month: Keep an eye out for the Red-tailed Bumblebee This bumblebee is very common. The females are entirely black with a red tail.  Thank you for helping us to promote World Bee Day Many of you shared our message or took actions yourselves on World Bee Day. We are very grateful to you all for your support. Pollinator Week is happening this year from June 22-28, 2020 https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week Keep an eye on the AIPP website for anything happening in Ireland.  See the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan on Nationwide Nationwide covered the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre as well as the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan on their show on the 27th May. You can see the episode on the RTE player at: https://www.rte.ie/player/series/nationwide/SI0000001172?epguid=IH000382854  Now is the time to input your ideas into AIPP 2021-2025! We are now actively working on the next version of the AIPP. If you have any thoughts or ideas that you think we should consider please send them to us. You can do this using the survey monkey form – anonymously if you wish! All ideas, big, small and radical are gratefully received and all will be given consideration. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/35SSJ89 Amazing things are happening as a result of reduced mowing across the island! It’s hard to describe in full, but amazing biodiversity has been reappearing as a result of reduced mowing for pollinators. Follow us on twitter @PollinatorPlan where people are sharing pictures. A rare Green-winged Orchid appeared on an unmown grassy verge in a Portlaoise housing estate, nearly 120 years after it was previously found in the general area! Since last weekend, over 300 rare bee orchids have appeared on Midleton roadside verges (photo below)! This is the first year of their reduced mowing regime as part of the town Pollinator Plan. The National Biodiversity Data Centre has written to all Council CEO’s in RoI to highlight what a positive impact recent reduced mowing on public land has had. https://pollinators.ie/does-the-lockdown-bring-any-silver-linings/ https://www.naturalcapitalireland.com/post/guest-blog-the-district-council-bringing-back-the-bees-with-a-pollinator-plan  |
