Today the number of sites NI Water staff have logged onto AIPP totals 46, a huge increase from the 26 NI Water sites recorded in 2023.
NI Water is the second biggest land owner in NI, and NI Water staff carry out checks on clean water and wastewater sites all year round. From April to September, these sites are great areas of grasses, flowering plants, trees and hedgerows are ideal observation locations to map pollinator habitats onto the citizen science initiative AIPP website.
NI Water Catchment Liaison Officer Rebecca Allen explained: “World Bee Day is celebrated every year on May 20th to raise awareness of how important bees are as pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development. The theme this year is ‘Bee Inspired by Nature to Nourish Us All.’
“At NI Water, we greatly appreciate the vital role bees play in plant reproduction and food production and how they are fundamental to supporting healthy ecosystems and also improving water quality. All pollinators significantly influence these things and provide a food larder for birds and small animals, and help us to protect and enhance our soil and water resources.
“As the second biggest landowner in Northern Ireland, our pollinator friendly land, which includes some of Northern Ireland’s very best open fields, meadows, bog lands and reservoirs, attracts many of Ireland’s most important pollinators including numerous bee species.
“We are highly aware that by increasing our environmental stewardship across our assets we can create a great environment for pollinator-friendly vegetation to thrive. We are very happy to play our part and get involved to support pollinator populations via AIPP. It’s also nice to stop and observe that even on our busy working sites and areas people may think are waste grounds, we have important habitats for pollinators. Its great to know our staff are helping collect really valuable information for the National Biodiversity Data Centre.”
For further information on AIPP and how businesses, schools and private homes and gardens can get involved please visit www.pollinators.ie