Promoting research and collaborations across the universities, local communities and the world
Spring has finally sprung, and we are seeing lots of bees on Bournemouth University (BU) campus. Dr Kathy Hodder photographed these yesterday. All the bees in the photos are female spring flying mining bees nesting within a very small area near the student village. She believes that all three 3 are collecting from dandelions.
How many species have you seen in your garden? Share your photos with us!
The Pollinator Exchange is a knowledge exchange portal created to provide people with an active interest in supporting pollinators in towns and cities with the information they need. It was developed at Bournemouth University as a reaction to two observations.
Firstly, as pollinators continue to decline in rural areas, there has been an increasing emphasis on the potential of towns, cities and other built-up areas to provide high-quality pollinator habitat. This interest has been fuelled by recent research that shows greater abundances of bumblebees, and higher production of wildflowers, in private gardens compared to traditional rural habitats.
Secondly, while knowledge about urban pollinators continues to emerge, it is not always shared with those who rely on it to make informed management decisions. A lack of access to scientific journals, for instance, can preclude valuable research from having a real impact on the ground.
It is our hope that the Pollinator Exchange will help facilitate communication and knowledge exchange between local councils, NGOs, private gardeners, scientists, ecological consultants and anyone else wanting to improve our towns and cities for the benefit of wild pollinators.
Find out more about the project here: Pollinator exchange