What was the challenge/problem addressed?

The Great Yellow Bumblebee EIP was a pilot agri-environmental project, which ran for one year. The EIP sought to improve the abundance of native flowers on Irish farmlands to benefit the endangered Great Yellow Bumblebee and other pollinators. The project worked with 27 farmers on the Mullet Peninsula and Erris Coastal Mainland in Co Mayo, Ireland, during 2022. Farmers adopted various actions (such as delayed grazing and mowing, creation of linear features) to support pollinators on species rich and machair grasslands. This partnership with farmers was vital to success of project.

How did you solve the problem?

The project worked with 27 farmers on the Mullet Peninsula and Erris Coastal Mainland in Co Mayo, Ireland, during 2022. Farmers adopted various actions (such as delayed grazing and mowing, creation of pollinator friendly linear features) to support pollin

What is innovative in your practical case?

Our project was simple in its approach. Reduce summer grazing or flora rich machair and allow species rich meadows to flower as long as possible before mowing to provide food for pollinators

What are the success factors in solving the problem?

Forming successful partnership with farmers, and forming positive working relationship with farmers.

Lessons learned

Farmers like to know how much their payments will be and when to expect them. It is important to give farmers as much information at the start of the project as possible, so they understand the projects aims and objectives. Working with farmers that are engaged with the project is very rewarding.

What role does the advisor or advisory service play with the practical case?

Farm advisors were very important from the very beginning, even before funding was in place for the project. They had great understanding of the farmers needs and what actions would be agreeable to farmers. They were important in making the link between t

Can your approach be transferred and/or adapted for other innovation challenges and regions?

Yes

Estimated transferability on a scale from 1 to 5

(where 1 is easy and 5 very difficult)

3

For sharing the experience on the good practice, please contact 

Karina Dingerkus

karina@giorria.com

Link to external information

https://www.belmullettidytowns.com/great-yellow-bumblebee

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