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Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research [INSTAR] Programme
A research and funding programme that supports Irish archaeology projects, promotes collaboration and partnerships, and features an online archaeology resource.
2015 – 2020
Initiative to collect and disseminate data on Irish pollinators and to devise positive actions to support pollinator conservation in Ireland.
Initiative to collect and disseminate data on Irish pollinators and to devise positive actions to support pollinator conservation in Ireland.
The Irish Pollinator Initiative was established by the National Biodiversity Data Centre in 2015 with the support of the Heritage Council, in order to address the critical issue of declining pollinator numbers in Ireland.
About one third of our Ireland’s 101 native bee species are threatened with extinction. Bees are the most important pollinator of crops and native plant species in Ireland, and according to a recent study by the Department of the Environment, are worth an estimated €85 million per annum to the Irish economy. “Habitat loss and the intensification of agriculture have resulted in a crisis in Irish bees,” said Dr Úna FitzPatrick, an ecologist at Ireland’s National Biodiversity Data Centre.
The main aims of the Irish Pollinator Initiative are to:
The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020 published in September 2015 identifies 81 actions to make Ireland pollinator friendly. It provides an important framework to bring together pollinator initiatives across the island and is the start of a process for collectively taking positive steps to protect Irish pollinators and the service they provide.
The Irish Pollinator Initiative website provides a centralised information source on the importance of pollination, and on the ecology, distribution, and conservation of Ireland’s key pollinators.
The Irish Pollinator Initiative is entirely reliant on the generosity of volunteer recorders who get involved and submit data on Ireland’s bees and hoverflies. It offers a range of opportunities for everyone to contribute, learn and get involved through reporting casual sightings of bees and hoverflies and taking part in the Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme to making your garden more pollinator friendly.
A research and funding programme that supports Irish archaeology projects, promotes collaboration and partnerships, and features an online archaeology resource.
Encourage greater awareness in your school of Ireland’s rich built, natural and cultural heritage with an engaging and stimulating visit from one of our Heritage in Schools experts.
Formed by the Heritage Council in 2005, the role of the IWTN is to help the Walled Towns of Ireland become better places in which to live, work and visit.