Council seeking to boost Kerry involvement in pollinator plan

KERRY County Council [KCC] aims to increase the local authority’s participation in the recently launched ‘All-Ireland pollinator plan’.

The news came at KCC’s monthly meeting after Councillor Michael Gleeson called on the local authority to promote the development of wild flower areas in as many locations as possible around the county.

In response to Cllr Gleeson’s query, KCC said that through the Biodiversity Office it is working with a number of community groups to boost the national pollinator plan.

The intention of the plan is to increase the number of habitats for pollinators such as bees and butterflies nationally through local actions.

KCC is also combining with fellow local authorities to look into rolling out an All-Ireland pollinator award within the National Tidy Towns competition.

Cllr Gleeson has described the reply as positive and said it is vitally important to ensure the long-term survival of pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

“At present at least one third of our 99 species of bees are threatened with extinction due to activities such as the widespread use of insecticides and lack of wild flower meadows and gardens,” Cllr Gleeson said.

“The future of crop and fruit growing is largely dependent on pollination by Bees and Butterflies.“

He has also encouraged communities, households, and schools to participate in safeguarding pollinators, in turn pointing to the colour and beauty wild floors bring to our surroundings.