Every year, the National Biodiversity Data Centre receives thousands of bee sightings. In 2023, 1,824 records were submitted that also included information on what flower the bee was feeding on. A huge thank you to everyone who sent in foraging data as it allows us to get as sense of what flowers they prefer. This year’s data again shows the importance of native plants and of simple actions like reduced mowing! Click the link to read more, including which plants are key each month, and what actions you can take to ensure your site provides their favourite foods.

A new booklet has been released celebrating Great Irish Grasslands. This guide has been developed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, with support from the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.

Species-rich grasslands (or native meadows) are among the most important habitats for biodiversity on the island of Ireland. They support a huge number of species above ground and in the soil. In the last few decades these fragile habitats have been disappearing fast. This booklet is the start of a process to recognise a network of these sites across the island. It profiles nine excellent sites that are publicly accessible and gives you a flavour of what you might see if you visit.

We are delighted to release a new resource on ecological corridors for pollinators. This short booklet provides an introduction to ecological corridors and tips on how to create them. Ecological corridors connect isolated habitats, helping insects, birds and mammals move safely through the landscape. They can include hedgerows and roadside verges, watercourses, and greenways. They can also include built up areas where rows of gardens and community spaces connect with urban parks.

Across the island of Ireland, pollinators are still in decline, but our data shows that local populations are increasing where actions are taken to help them. Every month between February and October, we'll share ideas on how you can support these important insects with evidence-based actions. We'll also be celebrating the connection between native plants and pollinators by shining a spotlight on different species. Each week on social media we will release a pollinator of the week, a native plant of the week, and an action of the week. You can also get the monthly summary on our website. Find out more about pollinators in April below.

Flower-Insect Timed Counts (FIT Counts) are an important way that you can help us monitor pollinators. Download the free FIT Count App, watch a 50x50cm patch of flowers for 10 minutes and count how many insects visit. 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 April, its especially useful to carry out FIT Counts on Dandelion. You do need to wait until it’s sunny and at least 13C though!

In 2023, 673 validated FIT Counts were submitted by 126 different volunteers. The average number of insects per FIT Count was 9. The most common insect group recorded were other flies followed by bumblebees then hoverflies. The most common habitat FIT Counts were carried out in was gardens. Visit the website to download the 2023 newsletter and see the full results of the scheme last year.