Okay so I love pollinators and I want to do anything in my power to help them out but honestly, I struggle to identify them which really isn’t all that useful.
Buglife recently ran an event that aimed to teach people all about the different types of pollinators and the easy ways to identify them whilst also building on botanical skillsets. Held at the Kippax Community Hub in Leeds, the pollinator workshop was run by Steven Falk, a very knowledgeable and passionate entomologist who knows all things pollinators! His enthusiasm and dedication was infectious and I quickly found myself engrossed in conversation with him as we discussed the ever growing concern of pollinator populations which are in severe decline due to the impacts of habitat fragmentation and climate change. The workshop was a great way to network with others as I met with many Yorkshire Wildlife Trust employees as well as research students from the University of Leeds! I’m hoping to help these guys out with their conservation-based projects by volunteering my time to some field research and data collection.
Steven presented a few slides that summarised all he knew about pollinators including their ideal habitats and the best ways to conserve them. His Flickr account is exceptionally useful for pollinator identification as it includes countless macro photographs of invertebrate morphologies and depicts the most likely habitats they will be found. Steven also recommended several books that can be easily used in the field when spotting pollinators including The Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s book, ‘Bumblebees – An Introduction’. This little book is full of bright photographs and drawings of the different bumblebee species, making it that much more enjoyable to successfully identify which little buzzer you’re looking at. I will definitely be investing when I’m not so tragically poor!
The afternoon sunshine soon invited us outside to delve through the plantation which was literally buzzing with life! Steven whipped his net around, catching any pollinator in sight, before quickly shoving his head into the net. After safely catching each invertebrate in his fingers, we were able to study many different species of bees and hoverflies up close and personal. Steven also shared his photography skills and tips with us and recommended certain pieces of kit that are fantastic in producing quality macro photographs that can be used in species identification. I honestly felt the happiest I had in a while. Being outside in the glorious sunshine amongst people who shared such a strong passion for the conservation of the natural world was so refreshing and inspiring! I look forward to the next Buglife volunteer day for sure!