All-Ireland Pollinator Plan - June 2026

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All-Ireland Pollinator Plan - June 2026

Newsletter: June 2026

The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a framework bringing together different sectors across the island of Ireland to create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive. Its implementation is coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

To spot this month: keep an eye out for the Red-tailed Bumblebee

This bumblebee is very common and is often spotted in gardens. The females are entirely black with a red tail. Photograph: Jonathan Derham.

Submit your bumblebee sightings

To do this month: Create a short-flowering meadow

No Mow May is over, but why not keep going with Let It Bloom June? Reducing mowing throughout the summer is one of the best things you can do for pollinators. There may also be areas you never mow and let grow wild. Red and White Clover is one of the most important food plants for wild bees in June. Mow less to help them grow naturally, and see which other native wildflowers appear in your lawn.

Create a short-flowering meadow

Kerry Wild Bee Festival

The Kerry Wild Bee Festival returns on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th July in Tralee Bay Wetlands Eco & Activity Park. A special festival launch event will take place on Monday 8th June with a talk on Reversing Wild Bee Decline by All-Ireland Pollinator Plan co-founder, Professor Jane Stout. Book your free spot below.

The Kerry Wild Bee Festival is being organised by Transition Kerry in collaboration with the Tralee Bay Wetlands Ecology Park and the Irish Wildlife Trust. The main festival will feature a series of walks and talks led by biodiversity experts and community groups on these important insects and the simple actions we can take to help them.

Find out more about the festival events through the link below.

Kerry Wild Bee Festival events

Launch event with Jane Stout - 8th June

How Small Farming Changes Can Support Bumblebees

In our latest guest blog, Lydia Thompson of University College Dublin shares her latest research on the 'Impacts of delayed grazing and mowing on bumblebees and flowers in species rich grasslands.'

This is part of the 'Dispatches from Researchers' series, which features guest articles written by experts in pollination and related fields.

Read 'How Small Farming Changes Can Support Bumblebees'

New Pollinator Plan for South Dublin

South Dublin County Council has recently launched the SDCC Pollinator Action Plan 2026–2030. The new Plan builds on several years of sustained progress and sets out a clear and ambitious programme of action to support pollinators in South Dublin, while enhancing the quality, resilience, and enjoyment of public spaces. Since first partnering with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan in 2019, SDCC has progressively transformed the management of parks, open spaces, and road verges across the county. Today, approximately 210 hectares of meadows are actively managed throughout South Dublin, exceeding the 2021–2025 target by 51%.

The new Pollinator Action Plan sets out 30 targeted actions to be delivered between now and 2030, ensuring pollinator-friendly principles are fully embedded across planning, design, capital projects, and day-to-day operations. The Plan also places a strong emphasis on public engagement and shared ownership.

Read the SDCC Pollinator Plan here

New guest blog: Low-mow lawns in May

Reducing mowing, even to just once a month, can help native wildflowers and beneficial grasses grow naturally, providing pollinators with food and shelter. In May, native plants are blooming – hedgerows are full of blossoming Hawthorn, and at ground level, wildflowers like Bush vetch, Red clover, and Cuckooflower pop up in the grass. This is an important time of year for pollinators, as many prepare to make their nests.

In this guest blog, we invited five gardeners to share their low-mow lawn stories and tell us what they noticed popping up in May.

Read the blog: Low-mow lawns in May

Grasslands Trail adds three new sites

A new Grasslands Trail booklet is available to download, featuring 3 new sites: Springhill, near Moneymore, Co. Derry – a National Trust NI site; Killykeeghan Nature Reserve, near Belcoo, Co. Fermanagh – a Northern Ireland Environment Agency site; and Ballygarry, near Tralee, Co. Kerry – a privately-owned site.

The Grasslands Trail is a network of public and private grasslands spread across the island of Ireland. All of these sites are managed sensitively, with nature conservation and grassland diversity in mind. Find a link to the booklet below.

Grasslands Trail booklet

Can you help by carrying out a Flower-Insect Timed Count (FIT Count)?

FIT Counts are an important way that you can help us monitor pollinators. They are a quick and easy survey that involves watching a 50cm x 50cm patch of flowers for 10 minutes and counting how many insects visit. Anyone can get involved, and you can carry out a FIT Count anywhere and on any flower, but where you can, please use one of our 15 target flowers. In June, it’s especially useful to carry out FIT Counts on White or Red Clover.

In 2025, 1,323 validated FIT Counts were submitted by 235 different volunteers. The average number of insects per FIT Count was 9. The most common insect group recorded were other flies followed by hoverflies then bumblebees. Gardens were the most common habitat FIT Counts were carried out in last year. Why not try one in your area to see how your site compares?

Visit the Flower-Insect-Timed Count homepage below to download the 2025 newsletter and see the full results of the scheme last year. An app is available for Ireland that allows you to carry out a FIT Count and upload the results in one go.