The Biological Recording Company hosted a pollinator-focused webinar on 1 April, presented by two experts that have links with PoMS: Dr Miranda Bane is a pollinator ecologist specialising in the interactions between plants, pollinators, and people, and also a member of the PoMS staff team in Scotland, as well as running pollinator projects and presented an overview of the FIT Count survey and how to take part.
Last month (23 February 2025) PoMS was invited to take part in the Citizen Science Showcase, focusing on the FIT Count surveys. Our webinar provides an introduction to the FIT Counts and how to take part in them, along with guidance on how to recognise the different insect groups that we ask you to count.
The recording is now available via YouTube:
Inspired by the many community-based initiatives dedicated to nature recovery and peoples’ wellbeing, and especially those that have been in touch with UK PoMS over the past year, I have been reflecting on activities closer to home.
Our latest PoMS email newsletter went out on Friday 5 July, with updates on progress with FIT Counts and links to forthcoming events. You can read this newsletter (and all previous ones), and subscribe so that you don't miss any in future, by going to our newsletter page.
This Bees Needs Week, we've looked at the benefits to promoting FIT Counts for local groups. FIT Counts are a great tool to use when working with volunteers: They are accessible; they start a conversation about pollinators; and they are benefit your mental wellbeing. Check out the full article at CJS Online for more details!
Today a new pollinator monitoring partnership agreement has been announced, between the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH). The details can be seen on the JNCC website
Thank you very much to everyone who completed the questionnaire in February and March 2022, carried out by Birdsong with funding from JNCC, and told us more about your experience with the UK PoMS citizen science project. We are delighted to have received 424 responses, and we are now able to share the results with you.
Following a successful pilot project in 2021, this year Northern Ireland has implemented both PoMS, surveys, enabling us to achieve full UK coverage. During National Insect Week in June 2022, volunteers for the 20 new 1 km squares gathered together to learn more about how to carry out the surveys. In this blog, Pauline Campbell (DAERA) gives her account of the day.
