Examples of Environment and Horticulture

		The National Biodiversity Data Centre is a national centre for the collection, collation, management, analysis and dissemination of data on Ireland’s biological diversity. Biodiversity data are a key requirement for understanding our natural surroundings, for tracking change in our environment and for gaining a greater insight on how we benefit from, and impact upon, the ecosystem goods and services provided by biological diversity; a national asset which contributes at least €2.6 billion to the Irish economy each year.

		One third of our bee species are threatened with extinction from Ireland. This is because we have drastically reduced the amount of food (flowers) and safe nesting sites in our landscapes. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is about all of us, from farmers to local authorities, to schools, gardeners and businesses, coming together to try to create an Ireland where pollinators can survive and thrive.

		Wildflower Seed Mixtures – Since 1990 this micro business has supplied and assisted thousands of customers to establish thousands of hectares of meadow in Ireland. That makes Design By Nature by far the most successful Non Government or semi-state nature conservation business in Ireland. Unlike non-native plants. when you buy native sourced Irish species they flower at the same time as the wildlife that visits the plants.