Workshops on pollinators definitely the place to bee!

Two upcoming workshops focused on Cork’s moths and bees will mean that Leesiders won’t have to wing it anymore when it comes to understanding these vital species.

The workshops are being organised by Cork City Council and the Cork Biodiversity Hub with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, the Irish Bee Conservation Project, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and The Heritage Council.

On Saturday 27 June, Dr Tim Butter from the National Biodiversity Data Centre will lead a workshop on Irish moths as part of Insect Week, ‘Morning with Moths’. The workshop will run from 9am-10.30am in the Cork Biodiversity Hub in Ballincollig.

The session will introduce participants to the diversity of moth species found locally and their importance in healthy ecosystems.

Participants will get the opportunity to examine moths trapped overnight, learn how they are identified, and see them released back into their habitats.

Rosemary McDonald, Biodiversity Officer with Cork City Council said moths are often overlooked, but are “incredible night-time pollinators, and with over 1,500 species in Ireland, there’s so much to learn and explore”.

“This workshop is a great opportunity for the Ballincollig community to come together, get curious about local wildlife, and pick simple ideas for making our gardens more welcoming for these important species,” she said.

The following Friday 3 July, Cork City Biodiversity Officers have organised a Citizen Science Workshop with guest speaker, Dr Signe Martin, from the Bee Conservation Project.

The workshop will be held between 10am-1pm at the Old Cork Waterworks Experience.

The workshop will highlight how to participate in nature surveys, from pollinators to wildflowers, birds, and mammals.

It will highlight how important community involvement is to local biodiversity conservation and empower individuals and community groups to make meaningful contributions to both local and national biodiversity surveys.

Cork City Council Biodiversity Officer Usna Keating said it is an opportunity to “identify and appreciate species diversity and take more notice of the species around us.”

“By knowing and recording the species that exist in an area, we learn about the important of different areas, in supporting nature, and can see and compare the changes in biodiversity in our locality over time.

“This knowledge can allow more measures to be taken to support rare and declining species,” she said.

Both events are ticketed and capacity is limited, so those interested are advised to act quickly if they want to ‘bee’ there.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.