Copy
View this email in your browser
NEWSLETTER: March 2022
Update from the Project Team
Our fist training session took place on the first week of March, Solitary Bee Nesting. Eighteen farmers participated. The next training session will take place 21st March (“Engaging with Citizen Science at the National Biodiversity Data Centre”).
We have launched a series of Farmland Seasonal Actions for Pollinators Posters. You can view the Spring Poster below or at: https://pollinators.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Spring-farmland-actions-for-pollinators.pdf.
 

Plant to Spot
Dandelion or Caisearbhán/Bearnán Bríde, in Irish, is one of the most important plants for pollinators in the Irish landscape. We had this species before but because it is so important for pollinators, we are using it again. The name dandelion comes from the Latin dens leonis, ‘lion’s tooth’ (or dent de lion in French) but it is not clear if this refers to the jagged leaves, the tap root, or the parts of the flower (Mac Coitir, 2018; Grigson, 1958). Dandelion flowers were once widely used in Ireland to make wine (Danaher, 1972), the young leaves can be eaten as a salad and the roots can be dried and roasted to make coffee (Grieve, 1931).
 
Pollinator to Spot
The Grey Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria)
The grey mining bee usually comes out of hibernation in March and will be around until June. It nests by making little burrows into bare soil – check your bare soil sites. It is the only solitary bee that is black with two grey bands. If you are interested in learning how to identify solitary bees have a look at Solitary Bees for Beginners: https://pollinators.ie/record-pollinators/solitary-bees-for-beginners/.
 
Additional Resources
5 in Five: Spring Hedgerows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUsGy5jOGi4.

A new study demonstrates that weeds are far more valuable in supporting biodiversity than we give them credit for. Read more at: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/research-demonstrates-value-injurious-weeds-can-bring-to-both-pollinators-and-biodiversity/.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre are delighted to have in-person workshops running again https://biodiversityireland.ie/workshops/. Two of them are in Kildare:
Bumblebee Monitoring Workshop, Castletown House, Celbridge, County Kildare, Saturday, 21st of May 10am-3pm
Butterfly Monitoring Workshop, Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Rathangan, Co. Kildare, Friday, 27th of May 10am-3pm

There is a free course available online on identifying and recording common Irish Bumblebees. See: https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/identifying-irish-bumblebees/lesson.html.
 
What you can do this month
Read the All-Ireland Pollinator Plans new blog at: https://pollinators.ie/top-ten-ways-to-help-pollinators/.

Check your solitary bee nest sites. Scrape back the vegetation if it has become overgrown. If you have a bee box that was not occupied last year, consider moving it to another location. There are 15 species of cavity nesting bees and 63 mining bees (includes new resident ivy bee) in Ireland. Remember that eight separate locations of bare soil (or area equivalent) and three bee boxes or equivalent must be created per 35 hectares of farmland.
Cavity bees like holes 4-8mm in diameter and 10cm in depth.
 
The National Biodiversity Data Centre
We have been running the All-Ireland Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme since 2012. Volunteers walk a fixed route once a month from Mar-Oct and count bumblebees. If you're interested in getting involved visit: https://biodiversityireland.ie/surveys/bumblebee-monitoring-scheme/.
Contact details
Phone: +353 (0) 51 306240
Email: eip@biodiversityireland.ie
Twitter: @BioDataCentre
Facebook: Biodiversity Data Centre
 
Protecting Farmland Pollinators is an EIP (European Innovation Partnership) project being administered by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. The Project is funded by the EU Recovery Instrument Funding under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2022.
Is tionscadal EIP (Comhpháirtíocht Nuálaíochta Eorpach) é an Protecting Farmland Pollinators atá á riaradh ag National Biodiversity Data Centre. Tá an Tionscadal maoinithe ag Maoiniú Ionstraim Téarnaimh an AE faoin gClár um Fhorbairt Tuaithe 2014-2022.
Aspects of the Project are subject to change in response to participant feedback and project monitoring.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.