What we learnt

The Polli:Nation project set out to achieve two core aims:

• Increase the abundance and diversity of pollinating insects in school grounds and surrounding communities.

• Effect cultural change by engaging and enthusing young people to protect pollinating insects.

Read on to see our OPAL evaluation of almost 3000 surveys, showing comparisons over three years.  These key findings can help ensure your own project is the very best for pollinators.

Our case studies page showcases a variety of ways in which school grounds were developed and pupils engaged – visiting parliament, petitioning MPs and local landowners with some incredible successes.  Over 35,000 young people were involved in this proje

Surveying for pollinators – Key findings

 

All participating schools undertook the Polli:Nation survey; OPAL analysed the results from the survey each year and these are their findings from year three.  A full report is available at the bottom of the page.

 

• Identification experience has risen by 22% in the three years since the project began.

 

• 18,866 pollinators were recorded over three years from 2867 quadrats.

 

• Significantly more pollinators were recorded after improvements due to increasing area of pollinator feeding habitats.

 

• Planting wildflowers has positive effects on overall pollinator abundance and creating damp places has positive impacts on diversity.

• Over 14,500m2 of wildflowers were recorded as part of the Polli:Nation survey.

• There was a significant increase in the area of feeding habitat (and a significant decrease in the average area of man-made features; bare walls/fences, concrete/tarmac, short grass) following improvements.

To find out more about the results and the types of changes schools made to their grounds, you can read the full report below.

Find out everything we learnt from delivering this project to 260 schools. The impact it had and some of the issues we and schools faced and how we over came them

OPAL full survey analysis highlights the changes that took place to habitat and the change in recorded pollinators

This summary looks at habitat changes and how they supported increasing pollinator recordings. A great resource to use with pupils

This document evaluates the educational impact Pollination has had across our schools, on pupils and staff.

Find your own Polli:Nation survey results – explore them and compare to other sites across the country with the fantastic OPAL DATA EXPLORER. Bring your science to life!