All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Conference Heads to Cork

Local Authority staff, Councillors, Planners, Engineers, Landscape Architects, Sustainability, Parks and Gardens staff from all over the island have been invited to this conference on how public lands can be managed to support pollinating insects.

Pollinators have suffered huge declines in recent decades, with one-third of our 99 Bee species currently at risk of extinction. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a shared plan of action that aims to reverse those declines by increasing pollinator-friendly habitats across the island.

On Thursday April 11th, at the Ambassador Hotel in Cork, training will be provided on the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, as well as an interesting line-up of guest speakers, who can offer advice on what to plant for pollinators; how to alter mowing regimes; road verge maintenance; and alternatives to pesticides. This event offers an opportunity for knowledge exchange and to learn from the experiences of other project managers.

Funding for this conference has been provided by Cork City Council and Cork County Council and both the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Mick Finn and Mayor of County Cork Cllr. Patrick Gerard Murphy will address the audience at the conference.

According to Juanita Browne, Project Officer with The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, “Nowadays, there is a lot of interest in biodiversity-friendly land management, but many managers don’t know how this is done as it is a new concept to many. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan provides clear evidence-based guidelines on how to create biodiversity-friendly landscapes that are low or zero-cost. We’re thrilled to be coming to Cork this year with our conference, and are looking forward to meeting public land managers from Munster and finding new ways of working together towards making the island of Ireland more pollinator-friendly”.

Niamh Twomey, Heritage Officer with Cork City Council, and Conor Nelligan, Heritage Officer with Cork County Council, both welcomed the idea of hosting this conference in Cork city this year and arranged funding to make this event happen.

Cork City Council’s Heritage Officer, Niamh Twomey said: ‘As Heritage Officer, I am delighted that the All Ireland Pollinator Plan Conference is coming to Cork. There is a growing awareness of the importance of pollinators amongst the public and the need to take action now. Small changes made by local authorities, businesses, schools and local communities can make a huge difference.’’

To register for this conference, visit: https://aipp2019.eventzilla.net

 For Further information, please visit: http://pollinators.ie/all-ireland-pollinator-plan-conference-heads-to-cork-in-2019/