Charity reports rise in pollinators this year

Warmer weather has led to an increase in pollinators across the island, with numbers generally up on last year, according to an environmental charity.

The Pollinator Project, which created a wildflower area adjacent to Fort Road earlier this year, aims to protect insects such as bees, butterflies, beetles and flies that visit flowering plants.

Chairman Gordon Steele said anecdotally there been a 20% increase in pollinators this year.

"As the flowers have come out and as things have developed, we can see more butterflies, more bumblebees, more beetles, more of the good stuff in this field than we ever have had before, which is really, really encouraging," he said.

Mr Steele added: "It's been a good year for insects, the warm weather has really helped them."

The group said they had only just begun collecting data which they can use to compare pollinator numbers in the years to come.

Mr Steele believed "the real test will be what's it like in a years' time or two years' time".

"Fort Field project is an example where some relatively simple and inexpensive changes can create a pollinator friendly environment that benefits both biodiversity and humans," he said.

"We aim to demonstrate best practice in verge and perennial wildflower meadow management that can be adopted by any landowner."

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