The Pollinator Project is Ireland's largest and longest running pollinator education programme.
The project works with schools across Ireland to train young people as pollinator ambassadors and assist in delivering bee-positive actions on the school grounds such as creating 'no-mow' meadows.
Through workshops and teaching kits the pollinator project has trained over 25,000 young people as pollinator ambassadors for their schools & communities.
For 2024, we're again delighted to partner with SIRO, Ireland’s 100% fibre broadband network, connecting communities across Ireland.
Thanks to their support we can offer free pollinator kits and workshops to reach over 4,000 young people across Ireland. You can register below for the free kits and workshops. Don't worry if you miss them, you can still get involved by taking the pollinator pledge and downloading your digital pollinator pack as well as entering our exciting competition. Open to pre, primary, secondary and homeschools across ROI & NI. |
Pippa Hackett, Minister for Land Use & Biodiversity launching the Pollinator Project 2024 in St. Stephen's Green, Dublin.
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Every school in Ireland can take the Pollinator Pledge. To download your free certificate, sign and worksheet please complete the pledge below. There are 3 super simple tasks. All the background info is available here. In a nutshell we want you to reduce mowing your grass, donate your unused pitch to pollinators for the summer and map your actions here.
Pollinator pledge
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Thanks to SIRO we have FREE workshops & teaching kits for up to 4,000 young people across Ireland. Closing date 12pm 26th April 2024. We will likely have more registrations than resources so prizes will be randomly assigned to schools. Kits are open to pre, primary, secondary and homeschools across ROI & NI. Workshops limited to primary schools with ROI.
Free Kit & Workshop competition
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We're looking for outstanding pollinator work at schools and homes across Ireland. Simply share your work with us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, X), tag & follow both Biodiversity in Schools and SIRO while using the hashtag: #BeeChampions. Closing date 12pm 31st May 2024.
One lucky school will win the coveted Gold Bee trophy and a biodiversity fund of a €500 garden supplies voucher. One lucky household can win a €100 voucher for the Airfield Estate, Dublin for a fun, nature-filled family day out. Please explore ways to help pollinators here. Tip: We'd love to see some ambitious "no-mow" meadows. T&Cs below. |
Background
Ireland is home to 102 species of bee (solitary x80, bumble x21, honey x1). Our wild bees are at risk (bumble, solitary), not honeybees. Worryingly more than half of our wild bees have undergone large declines in their numbers since the 80s. Research shows that 30% of Irish species are now threatened with extinction, with some already having become extinct. The cause for concern is because of the ecological value of bees. They are often referred to as pollinators; a group of insects who perform the process of transferring pollen from one flower to another, ultimately completing the lifecycle of the flower and giving rise to the food we eat. The importance of such insects to our food system is astonishing; 71 of the top 100 world food crops (90% of world food supply) are dependent on pollination, a service worth €153 billion per year. Thankfully, Irish scientists are working hard to help our bees and have developed the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
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Other ways to get involved...
Why SIRO?
SIRO is proud to support the Pollinator Project with Biodiversity in Schools. As a leading Irish broadband network operator, we are committed to enhancing sustainability and community well-being across Ireland. By providing a 100% fibre-to-the-premise broadband network, SIRO enables communities to protect their environment and its biodiversity.
SIRO’s fibre broadband contributes to reducing harmful carbon emissions by supporting remote work, eliminating the necessity for long commutes, and fostering a more sustainable lifestyle. For businesses, fibre broadband facilitates smart tech solutions, enhancing energy efficiency and productivity and decreasing their environmental impact. Read more about Sustainability at SIRO here.”
SIRO’s fibre broadband contributes to reducing harmful carbon emissions by supporting remote work, eliminating the necessity for long commutes, and fostering a more sustainable lifestyle. For businesses, fibre broadband facilitates smart tech solutions, enhancing energy efficiency and productivity and decreasing their environmental impact. Read more about Sustainability at SIRO here.”
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions for the Pollinator Project competitions can be found here.