The ‘Biodiversity on your Farm’ project will help you learn more about the species you are likely to find on your farm.
Every week we will focus on a different species, and share a simple tip for managing your farm for biodiversity.
This project is a new recording initiative in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Across the year, we will be highlighting 40 different species, with a focus on pollinators. Keep an eye out every week for a new species profile, tips on managing your farm for biodiversity, as well as identification guides and training courses.
To take part, just send us your sightings! The project is suitable for all knowledge levels, and you can submit your sightings through an online recording form or through the mobile App (link to App is coming soon).
Are you up for the challenge?
Specie #1: Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum  | Species #2: Grey (or Ashy) Mining Bee Andrena cineraria  | Species #3:  | Species #4: Clarke's Mining Bee Andrena clarkella  |
Species #5: Marshams Nomad Bee Nomada marshamella  | Species #6: Dandelion Taraxcum agg.  | Species #7: Holly Blue Celestrina argiolus  | Species #8: Hawthorn/Whitethorn Crateagus monogyna  |
Species #9: Common Snout hoverfly Rhingia campestris  | Species #10: Large Carder Bee Bombus muscorum  | Species #11: Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina  | Species #12: House Martin Delichon urbicum  |
Species #13: Huming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum  | Species #14: Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius  | Species #15: Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina  | Species #16: Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum  |
Species #17: 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempucata  | Species #18: Common Carder Bee Bombus prascuorum  | Species #19: Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum  | Species #20: Ragged Robin Silene flos-cuculi  |
Species #21: Garden Tiger Arctia caja  | Species #22: Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas  | Species #23: Common knapweed Centaurea nigra  | Species #24: 14-spot Ladybird Propylea 14-punctata  |
Species #25: Swallow Hirundo rustica  | Species #26: Noon Fly Mesembrina meridiana  | Species #27: Kestrel Falco tinnunculus  | Species #28: Buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris  |
Species #29: Garden Spider Aranus diadematus  | Species #30: Spindle Euonymus europaeus  | Species #31: Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus  | Species #32: Devil's Coach-horse Ocypus olens  |
Species #33: Common Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula  | Species #34: Turkeytail Tremates versicolor  | Species #35: Irish Hare Lepus timidus hibernicus  | Species #36: Robin's Pincushion (Bedeguar Gall Wasp) Diplolepis Rosae  |
Species #37: Fieldfare Turdus Pilaris  | Species #38: Yellow Brain fungus Tremella mesenterica  | Species #39: Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum  | Species #40: Holly Leaf miner Phytomyza ilicis  |
Across the year we’ll focus on 10 native farmland plant species and some of the pollinating insects that are associated with them.
There will also be tips on managing your farm for biodiversity, identification guides and training courses.
Species #1: Blackthorn Prunus spinosa  | Species #2: Wild cherry Prunus avium  | Species 3: Crab apple Malus sylvestris  | Species #4: Rowan Sorbus aucuparia  |
Species #5: Selfheal Prunella vulgaris  | Species #6: Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria  | Species #7: Bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculus  | Species #8: Vetches and vetchlings  |
Species #9: Yarrow Achillea millefolium  | Species #10: Ivy Hedera helix  |
Alan bringing in the cows for milking.
Alan and Cheryl Poole and their family are dairy farmers in Co. Wexford. They spoke to our Farmland Pollinator Officer to share some wildlife they have spotted following a biodiversity walk on their farm in 2022.
Alan found that after learning more about biodiversity, it was easier to spot wildlife. Alan says: ‘Now, as I continue my work on the farm, I ask myself what I can do differently or better to help biodiversity. There is so much potential to be realised by making small changes. ‘It’s amazing the importance of a simple thing like hedgerows, as it turned out, they were the common denominator between all the farmers who attended an evening biodiversity walk on my farm’.
Farming with nature in mind can be a valuable tool, benefitting our farming systems and building resilience for future changes (from climate to economic).
Here are just some of the benefits:
Alan Poole, a dairy farmer from Co Wexford says , ‘Now, as I continue my work on the farm, I ask myself what I can do differently or better to help biodiversity. There is so much potential to be realised by making small changes.’
If you have any questions, please get in touch with our Farmland Pollinator Officer at pollinators@biodiversityireland.ie
The Farmland Pollinator Officer post is funded by Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as one of its contributions to assisting implementation of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021-2025.
