We all depend on the important ecosystem service provided by pollinating insects such as bumblebees and solitary bees. Unfortunately, pollinators in Ireland and around the world are in catastrophic decline.
Wishing to take action for pollinators and biodiversity, the Inland & Coastal team at Banagher, Ireland have created their own slice of insect paradise with a garden space dedicated to nurturing nature and encouraging pollinator species to flourish.
Without pollinators, many plants would not exist. Pollinators are insects that transfer pollen between plants, visiting flowers for nectar and pollen which fertilises the plants and helps them reproduce.
The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) is a framework bringing together different sectors across Ireland to create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive, with implementation coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Suitable for large multi-site corporates, SMEs and micro-enterprises, the guidelines contain a series of evidence-based actions into biodiversity, which provides steps towards becoming a nature-positive business model.
Working in conjunction with the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the AIPP, the Inland & Coastal team pledged to undertake new biodiversity actions each year. Over the last couple of years, they have been working closely with a trusted company who has helped to design a garden that is as pollinator friendly as possible, without losing the aesthetic appeal of a blooming Irish garden.
The overall goal was to create an outdoor space that doubles as a pollinator-friendly environment and a relaxing and inviting oasis for employees. A success story with dual benefits.
According to research, the best food for pollinators are the native flowers they have evolved alongside. These include natural wildflowers, flowering trees, and hedgerows. As a result, the garden has been divided into three areas: an orchard with pollinator-friendly trees, two long meadows – sections of undisturbed long grass that allows wildflowers to bloom naturally and create undisturbed nesting areas for bumblebees and other insects – and an area planted with native species and pollinator friendly plants following the guidelines from AIPP.
Tasked with looking after the garden, the landscaping company – chosen for its knowledge about native plants and pollinators – was on hand throughout the process to offer advice and help the team implement the plan to ensure they achieved the best result.
In order to track and measure progress, the team at Banagher have also agreed to take part in Flower-Insect-Timed (FIT) counts, which essentially counts the number of insects that land on a flower over a period of time.
Doing this regularly allows the team to monitor the number of insects and diversity, as well as checking if the count is increasing (or decreasing) over time. The count can be done in the same patch or over a number of patches to widen the data set.
“At Inland and Coastal Marina Systems, we believe in biodiversity and we are proud supporters of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan,” says Floriane Catillon, Sustainability Manager at ICMS.
“We will keep participating every year and are proud to be part of this shared plan of action to help restore the pollinator populations. Everyone can help at their own scales.”
More information can be found on https://pollinators.ie/
Living Seawalls
As part of our sustainability initiative, we’re always looking at ways to minimise the impact of our business and the products we produce on the environment, and our partnership with award-winning Living Seawalls provides us with a dual-purpose solution.
Living Seawalls is a sydney-based company that designs and produces innovative modular panels that mimic foreshore and intertidal habitats to revive the increasingly ‘urbanised’ oceans as construction ventures ever further into the sea.
By repurposing waste from our construction material for Living Seawalls, we not only reduce our ecological footprint but also demonstrate a commitment to circular economy principles. This eco-friendly approach is a testament to our dedication to sustainability at every stage of the production cycle.
For more information on our collaboration with Living Seawalls, visit our website https://inlandandcoastal.com/what-we-make/living-seawalls.
If you’re interested in learning more about specification and installation contact leon@inlandand coastal.com
