Putting Pollinators First

Butterfly on daisies in County Donegal.

As we move forward with the launch of Rewilding.ie, I wanted to share with our new community the reasoning behind putting pollinators front and centre in our first projects…

There are of course many logical reasons why “Pollinators First” is hopefully the right approach as we launch Rewilding.ie.

Ultimately - and most importantly - the emotional and aesthetic appeal of pollinators is what makes this approach feel so compelling.

Rewilding.ie aims to make it as accessible, easy and enjoyable as possible for people in Ireland to rekindle a meaningful connection with nature - both on the individual level and at the community level together.

Here is a Bumble Bee - but can you spot which variety? Worth watching this clip in full screen for a nice relaxing moment whilst you can observe the bee busily at work on the clover in a meadow in midsummer in County Donegal.

This means that it is important for Rewilding.ie to take action that is relatable and relevant for all the people across Ireland - spanning the urban to rural, the north to south, the young to the old and so on and so forth…

So - what is it about pollinators that makes them especially relatable and relevant to everyone?

First of all - pollinators are charismatic and easy to love.

This is because they exist within complex “Pollination Systems” that contain many of the species (both animal and plant) which resonate so powerfully and positively with us humans.

Perhaps the reasons for this deep resonance are encoded in our DNA - but it is an obvious truth that most of us naturally love flowers and trees and bees.

Consider that at least up until modern times, honey from bees would be the only “sugar” that most people would ever have a chance to taste in their entire life!

Pollinators and the plants they pollinate are generally beautiful, charming, colourful and likeable.

And if they are sometimes a little daunting because of their stings or spikes or thorns - they are still generally fascinating, or useful (i.e. most of our food is pollinated by pollinators).

Butterfly on dandelion in County Donegal.

This aspect of the natural world - our pollination systems - is so full of compelling and relatable candidates to play the role of “front of house” for the very concept of rewilding itself.

And this is why Rewilding.ie is committed to putting Pollinators First.

Putting Ireland’s pollinators in focus, specifically.

All of them.

Admittedly there is one superstar species - as I wrote in the earlier post about the Magic of Ireland’s Native Honey Bee… considering how blessed we are to have a Native Honey Bee instead of, for example, a native species of mole.

Coming soon on the blog here we will share our shortlist of the other iconic Irish flora & fauna, which we considered as alternatives to pollinators as the emblem for Rewilding.ie.

There were several strong contenders that we could have chosen to be our flag bearer. That is to say, the competition for consideration as Ireland’s most captivating wild animal is fierce…

It’s a subjective distinction, of course - and it makes for an interesting conversation.

But in our view only one creature really gave the pollinators a run for their money to be Ireland’s wild champion…

Can you guess what that one might be?

Stay tuned to our blog and social media channels and we will reveal this mystery creature soon…

In the meantime - something to ponder yourself - what would you choose as the figurehead for making Ireland wilder, healthier and happier?