Kilkenny golf courses urged to help our pollinators

You may have heard lots of discussion on media recently about pollinators and the many actions that people are taking to help these valuable creatures which are under threat. 

The National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) under the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, and supported by The Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland (GCSAI), have developed a new guide 'Pollinator Friendly Management of Golf Courses' to provide practical advice on five simple low-cost actions to make golf courses more pollinator friendly.

“GCSAI are delighted to support the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and this guide for pollinator-friendly golf courses," says Damien McLaverty, GM Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland.

"Through this fantastic initiative we hope awareness will be raised and practical actions taken to improve pollinator friendly practices and biodiversity on Irish golf courses.”

The five key actions that golf courses can take to support pollinators are:

• Manage meadow areas for pollinators;
• Plant pollinator-friendly trees and bulbs;
• Make the area around the clubhouse and pro-shop pollinator-friendly;
• Reduce use of herbicides;
• Provide nesting places for wild bees. 

The Heritage Office of Kilkenny County Council has distributed this new guide to all the golf and pitch and putt courses in County Kilkenny. They also have a limited number of free pollinator signs for any golf club which adopts actions from the guidelines and by erecting these signs it shows people that the golf clubs are actively involved in helping our pollinators and to demonstrate that particular areas are being managed for pollinators. 

Greenkeepers and Course Committees may be particularly interested in the advice and the guides can be downloaded for free here.

Golf and Pitch and Putt clubs can sign up as supporters of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and map any actions they undertake on the ‘Actions for Pollinators’ website. This allows the NBDC to build a bigger picture of what is actually happening to help our biodiversity and pollinators on the golf courses around the island of Ireland.

Kilkenny County Council was the first local authority in Ireland to adopt the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, and they are working hard to undertake actions in their own work programmes to help pollinators, and to provide support and advice to other sectors in the county.

For more information and other useful resources, please see www.pollinators.ie or contact the Heritage Office, Kilkenny County Council. Email: heritage@kilkennycoco.ie.