Saving the small things that run the planetThe Newport Pollinator project is an exciting new project which will restore and create habitat for pollinators and deliver a wide range of engagement events to celebrate pollinators and encourage communities to participate in activities around Newport’s greenspaces.
Funded by the Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme (LDTCS) and working in partnership with Newport City Council and local community groups the project will deliver a mixed programme of activities including pollinator walks and talks, pollinator identification, training webinars and art, photography and well-being workshops. By doing this we will engage Newport’s communities with their local nature spaces, creating friendlier relationships with insects, and encourage people to take action to halt pollinator decline. We will also undertake habitat restoration work to create robust ecological networks including new habitat within our B-lines network and make room for invertebrates to thrive. The project will focus on several sites including the recently reclaimed “Road to Nature,” The Twmps, near Barack hill, Pillgwenlly Millennium Centre and St. Julian’s Local Nature Reserve.
Why is this project needed? Since the second world war the UK has lost 97% of flower-rich grassland. We urgently need to restore and connect habitats to halt and reverse the decline in our pollinator populations. Urban areas can provide key refuges for pollinators, and Newport supports diverse pollinator communities which include rare species such as the Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum), Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus humilis) and the Small Scabious Mining Bee (Andrena marginata). However, Welsh pollinators are threatened by climate change and development which reduce habitat and fragment populations. Pollinators provide vital ecosystem services Their behaviour and beauty have inspired art and folklore for generations. By involving communities with pollinator conservation, we can better understand and monitor them for future generations to enjoy.
If you would like to find out more about the project, or if you would like to get involved contact [email protected] Follow the project as it develops by liking our Facebook page www.facebook.com/buglife/ or Twitter @buzz_dont_tweet.
Newport Pollinators is funded by the Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme and Milkywire
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