PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Wild pollinators have declined because of land-use change, intensive agricultural management and pesticide use, environmental pollution, invasive alien species, pathogens and climate change. Research suggests almost 10% of the EU’s wild bees are threatened with extinction, while data are lacking for over 50%. Information is particularly scarce on the Mediterranean basin, which harbours the majority of endemic wild bees and is considered a biodiversity hotspot for conservation. In Mediterranean countries (e.g. Spain, Italy, Greece), there is inadequate awareness about the beneficial role of wild pollinators and the importance of conserving their diversity. This knowledge gap is one of the main obstacles to implementing policies and planning successful programmes for addressing the main drivers behind pollinator decline and ensuring sustainable management and restoration of the remaining high-value pollinator habitats.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the LIFE 4 POLLINATORS project was to improve pollinator conservation by creating a virtuous circle leading to a progressive change in practices across the Mediterranean region.
The specific objectives were to:
- raise citizens’ and stakeholders’ awareness on the decline of wild pollinators and the importance of pollination services for the functioning and health of ecosystems and agroecosystems
- promote attitudes and behaviour favouring native wild pollinators (promotion of pesticide-free agriculture and pollinator-friendly practices in rural and urban environments)
- enhance citizens’ participation in data collection and greening actions
- improve general knowledge on native Mediterranean wild pollinators and entomophilous plants (i.e. pollinated by insects) and their interactions, and on invasive alien species through citizen science activities (creation of a participative web-platform to gather ecological information on interactions between pollinators and plants)
- promote better environmental governance, transferring data to the relevant authorities and stimulating the development of pollinator strategies or action plans in member states where they are missing (Italy and Greece)
The project was expected to contribute to a range of EU policy and legislation, including the biodiversity strategy, Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on invasive alien species, the thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides, the pollinators initiative and biodiversity protection under the common agricultural policy. With several actions to be carried out in Natura 2000 sites, it would also support the Habitats Directive.
RESULTS
The LIFE 4 Pollinators project made significant strides in engaging the public and promoting pollinator conservation across Italy, Spain, Greece and Slovenia, achieving a range of impactful results.
In Italy, the project established a new section dedicated to pollinators in the Botanic Garden of Bologna, creating a tangible educational resource. A mobile ‘pollination exhibition’ designed with a sustainable modular structure, with digital and analog tools,has been realised (in IT and EN versions) and travelled across Greece, Spain and Italy, reaching thousands of people. It will be permanently housed at the premises of the Botanic Garden of Bologna, where it will continue to disseminate the project’s messages. Extensive educational efforts were conducted, including workshops and training sessions for urban green area managers, farmers and young agronomists, resulting in a documented increase in awareness and pollinator-friendly behaviours. The project also worked to facilitate the adoption of the BEE indicator by the Emilia-Romagna regional authority for Rural Development Programme measures evaluation, even if the official adoption did not occur during the project, and is expected in the after-LIFE phase. Furthermore, the project held a workshop in Rome with national and regional authorities and contributed to drafting the MASAF (Ministry of Agriculture) Guidelines for CAP Eco-Scheme 5.
In Spain, 4 pollinator gardens were created in urban contexts in the Balearic Islands, providing valuable habitats and educational sites. Workshops and training sessions were conducted for urban green area managers, farmers and young agronomists, mirroring the efforts in Italy. A workshop was held in Madrid for environmental managers from local, regional and national governments.
In Greece, the project organised an art exhibition that reached thousands of people, raising awareness about pollinators. Training sessions were conducted for teachers and educators to increase student involvement. Several workshops were held with local and regional authorities for protected areas, culminating in a final conference with the Ministry of Environment in Athens. The beneficiary UAEGEAN was invited by the Ministry of the Environment to draft the Pollinator Action Plan for Greece.
In Slovenia, the project conducted a training for urban green area managers and farmers.
Numerous awareness-raising activities were carried out:
- across all 4 countries, the project disseminated 6 field guides in multiple languages, aiding in pollinator identification, alongside 4 targeted handbooks for different stakeholders (all downloadable from the project website, together with additional material)
- 3 animated videos were created to educate the public about pollinators and their importance
- a web platform was launched for citizens to upload photos of insects visiting flowers, with expert taxonomists verifying the data (almost 2 300 photos collected)
- 27 bioblitzes were organised in Natura 2000 sites, involving 769 participants and resulting in a documented 65% improvement in awareness and 41% changes in behaviour, along with over 2 000 pictures uploaded
- the project's social media presence was highly successful, reaching a wide audience and producing 3-4 items of content per week, with significant reach on Facebook and Instagram
- the project also organized 25 training events targeting 698 farmers, 7 training events with 186 urban planners, 15 workshops with 419 park managers, and 9 lessons with 171 young agronomists, with overall documented increases in awareness and pollinator-friendly behaviour
- notably, 2 100 students and 313 teachers were involved in the Citizen Science educational project ‘Students 4 Pollinators’”, with 86% of teachers expressing willingness to implement project activities
- the pilot project in Emilia Romagna monitored wild pollinators at 5 farms over 3 years, contributing to the development of the BEE indicator
- 6 workshops were organised to promote project replication across different regions and countries
Considering social networking and related channels by which the project has been disseminated (videos, social media, radio and television interviews, popular and press articles), the project likely reached more than 7.5 million people.
Further information on the project can be found in the "Read more" section.
