Pollinator Project
During Spring 2022, The Alderney Wildlife Trust launched the Pollinator Project in partnership with the Guernsey Pollinator Project team and a number of other local organisations. With a focus on community engagement and learning, this project aimed to involve the wider island population in nature and conservation and to raise awareness of the threats to our rapidly declining pollinator populations, which are vital for the health of our environment.
There are three main branches of the scheme; education, action and science. The education elements primarily focused on the younger generation, with a number of pollinator-themed sessions being held with the playgroup and youth group. This included making seed bombs, art competitions and bee hotels with children aged between 2 and 16. We also offered seed packets and growing advice at engagement stalls, gauging opinions on how planting for pollinators can be best understood and enjoyed. The key actions including planting out pollinator patches, with a flagship site at Alderney Roots which will showcase our work and offer information boards about the various pollinator species and plants found on Alderney. We will continue our contribution towards science on the UK pollinators by carrying out moth, bee and butterfly surveys throughout the year.
In summary, we aim to use pollinators as a way of uniting Alderney’s wildlife and people for the long-term health of our beautiful island.