Researchers from Trinity College Dublin’s Department of Botany, specifically the People and Nature group, recently hosted the inaugural Irish RestPoll stakeholder workshop. The event aimed to foster collaboration between farmers, land managers, and other stakeholders to restore pollinator habitats across agricultural landscapes.

RestPoll is a European Union Innovation Action project involving 16 countries and 24 research institutions, including Trinity. Over the next three years, the project will co-design, evaluate, and fine-tune strategies to enhance pollinator habitats and their services. Regular workshops are planned across participating countries to facilitate knowledge sharing among key stakeholders.

In Ireland, RestPoll will build upon an existing farmer network created by the European Innovation Partnership’s ‘Protecting Farmland Pollinators’ initiative. The first Irish workshop took place at a farm in Athy, Co. Kildare, where representatives from Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the National Biodiversity Data Centre, and BiOrbic joined farmers and researchers to discuss current challenges and future opportunities for pollinator habitat restoration.

Professor Jane Stout, Trinity’s Vice-President for Biodiversity and Climate Action, and a principal investigator on the RestPoll project, highlighted the importance of collaboration:

“Engaging all stakeholders, especially farmers, is essential to create a robust network that promotes pollinator-friendly actions across agricultural landscapes. We need to find practical, scalable solutions that can be implemented at a national level. It's encouraging to see a shared commitment to supporting farmers as key players in addressing the biodiversity crisis. But this goes beyond farming – the entire food system must adapt to help protect biodiversity.”

Professor Stout expressed gratitude to the workshop attendees and noted the enthusiasm for expanding the RestPoll network to include a broader range of stakeholders. This expansion would further facilitate exchanges of knowledge between farmers, researchers, and policymakers.

Dr Sarah Larragy, a post-doctoral researcher with the RestPoll project, emphasised the importance of collaboration with farmers:

“We are fortunate to work with a network of forward-thinking stakeholders, particularly farmers, who are committed to supporting nature on their land. The success of this first workshop sets the stage for ongoing collaboration, building on the achievements of the Protecting Farmland Pollinators project."

Dr Larragy added that her interactions with farmers have provided valuable insights into the challenges they face and the opportunities available to enhance biodiversity on their farms. She looks forward to continuing these discussions and ensuring that RestPoll supports pollinator-friendly farming practices.