Nature Friendly Spaces????

“Nowhere is richer in wildflowers and insect pollinators than traditional hay meadows. Sadly, in the last 60 years, we've lost 97% of this precious habitat. But with nature friendly farming, meadows can be restored to provide a haven for wildlife. It's all about the timing. Delaying mowing until mid-July allows birds and insects to complete their breeding and flowers to set their seed”.

Sir David Attenborough on BBC 's Wild Isles documentary.

An Post on Biodiversity

David McRedmond , CEO of An Post recently sat down with Christina McCann from Green Fridays to talk about how An Post has achieved its impressive sustainability transformation.

As part of this interview, David spoke about biodiversity. It’s a compelling three-minute watch. Click here to view it, or visit our YouTube channel at: youtube.com/@GreenFridaysOrg .

Wilder outdoor spaces - A new aesthetic

As the extent of the threat to the world’s biodiversity becomes better known (for example studies showing that 40% of insect species are in decline), attitudes to managing green spaces are evolving in tandem; and more people are embracing a wilder look that supports biodiversity (variety of life).

Wildlife friendly lawn and No Mow May

Initiated by Plantlife International in the UK in 2019 and endorsed by environmentalist Sir David Attenborough, #NoMowMay encourages people to leave their lawnmowers in the shed during May to support wildlife. However, the benefits don’t need to end in May, as less mowing throughout the summer also benefits pollinators, birds and other wildlife.

Native wildflowers, such as clover, buttercups and bird’s foot trefoil thrive when mowing is minimized. These plants provide essential sources of pollen and nectar for early season pollinators. By mowing less frequently, these plants can bloom, thereby supporting a variety of wildlife.

"Even a modest reduction in lawn mowing frequency can bring a host of environmental benefits: increased pollinator numbers, increased plant diversity, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, a longer, lawn makes it more resistant to pests, weeds, and drought events."

Dr. Chris Watson (Source: scitechdaily.com ).

Wild Bees (not honey bees) Under Threat

One-third of wild bees in Ireland are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and pesticide (eg weedkiller) use in gardens, parks and on farms. These weedkillers get rid of food sources such as dandelion and clover. These wild flowers are especially important for early bumble bee queens when they wake from hibernation. They need to visit up to 6,000 wild flowers a day to start a new hive. (source: RTE ).

The Impact of Every Single Unmown Lawn

With over 20 million gardens in the UK and 2 million in Ireland, even smaller areas of unmown grass can protect essential habitats.

Local county councils are getting involved and are setting aside areas in parks, and along roadsides, thereby providing spaces for wildlife.

Wildlife and Plants to look out for during #NoMowMay and low mow summer

Diverse Insect Life: Expect to see a surge in pollinators including hoverflies, bees, and butterflies. These insects are crucial for pollinating many plants, including food crops.

Common Wildflowers: Flowers like daisies, creeping buttercup, yellow rattle, bird’s-foot-trefoil self-heal, and clovers typically emerge in unmowed lawns and not only add beauty but also serve as vital food sources for pollinators.

Hare’s Corner

The term "Hare's Corner" originates from an old farming expression that describes a corner of a field which was difficult to plough and was often left to go wild.

Traditionally, these areas served as small refuges for wildlife amidst agricultural land. Hare’s corners are again becoming more popular in both farm and urban settings allowing even smaller spaces to be transformed into a biodiversity sanctuaries.

“Today, this concept can be applied to even small urban space—from garden corners to window boxes—that support wildlife and promote biodiversity.”

(source: Burrenbeo Trust ).

Top Tips to help Pollinators and restore biodiversity

• Avoid chemicals: Chemical pesticides, herbicides, insecticides are designed to kill various organisms. One of the best things you can do for pollinators is avoid using them. If you buy plants at a garden centre, ask if they have been treated with chemicals. Even ‘bee friendly’ labelled plants may have been treated with pesticides. Insecticides have been found to kill, harm, and disorientate pollinators. Herbicides kill the ‘weeds’ that provide them with important food. (Source: All Ireland Pollinator Plan)
• Let hedges blossom: Allow hawthorn hedgerows to blossom fully by not cutting them annually; prune hawthorn hedges every three years rather than every year.
• Minimize Outdoor Lighting: Nighttime lights disrupt many insects and birds. Turn off outdoor lights when they are not needed to help them navigate and feed.
• Avoid wildflower seed mixes: Using wildflower seed mixes risks introducing invasive or non-native flowers or grasses such as Black grass that would be very harmful for local agriculture.
• Create a pond: Wildacres Nature reserve run excellent workshops on how to make ponds.
• Plant Native Trees: Trees like Mountain ash, spindle, birch, hawthorn, alder, hazel, oak all support numerous insects and wildlife.
• Bird baths: Birds need to wash their feathers and bird baths fulfil this need. Make sure to clean them weekly and keep them filled during the dry summer months.
• Small Bee Hotels: Large bee hotels can spread disease and attract predators. Smaller hotels are safer for pollinators and less likely to cause harm.
• Create a deadwood habitat: Find a space for a small dead wood log pile: it provides habitat for many insects like beetles and a home for the grubs that the great spotted woodpecker feeds likes to feed on.

Become a citizen scientist!

It is estimated that the planet is losing about 9% of its land insects every decade (source: Reuters News Agency . More data is needed to be able to track changes in insect populations.

You can help by doing a Flower-Insect Timed Count (FIT Count) which is designed to collect new data on the numbers of flower-visiting insects.

FIT Counts are simple – you watch a patch of flowers for 10 minutes and count how many insects visit and then submit the data online. The scheme runs from April to September. Your location can be anywhere, such as a garden, farm, park or school. Doing this across various action sites and then repeating through the year and across future years will show how changes we make affect insect numbers and biodiversity.

So, take a bit of time out and take a look at the world around you. For more visit pollinators.ie/record-pollinators/fit-count/ (Source: National Biodiversity Data Centre )

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

The Green Fridays Team

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