Pollinator Project Guernsey

PSA to parents of primary school age children...check your little one's book bags, this weekend is the last chance to complete any entries for our island wide art competition! 🎨

This year we are asking children to decorate solitary bees, and the entries will be displayed in Guille-Allès Public Library, Guernsey as usual throughout July.

The team will be collecting entries from all schools next week, so get colouring, painting or decorating this weekend - we can't wait to see the creations!

PS: There will also be a collection box at the library for any stragglers 😀

OK, so No Mow May is over - but you don't have to rush out and chop the lawn just yet because we're rolling straight into Let It Bloom June!

Leaving your grass to grow longer is benefits for our pollinating insects as it provides shelter and food for a variety of different species. It is such an easy way for you to help, even if you have a small space, by doing very little.

However, some of you might be getting keen to have a tidy up, so here are a few ways you can continue supporting the No Mow Movement, in a way that suits you:

1. Go Completely Wild: Leave your lawn til the end of July if you like, creating a meadow like habitat perfect for creatures great and small.

2. Wiggly Paths: How about cutting some short paths within the lawn, creating short and long areas for you and the pollinators to enjoy? We have used this method at our Fort Field project and it's brilliant to be able to wander through the wild patches comfortably.

3. Soft Border Edges: If you prefer your lawn short, how about leaving patches of your borders to nature? Wait and see what blooms and who visits!

However you choose to garden, these small, intentional actions for our pollinators have a big impact. If you're taking part in No Mow May or Let It Bloom June, don't forget to share your photos with us - we'd love to see how you're getting on.

It's looking like brilliant weather for this upcoming bank holiday weekend, so here is your 'could do' list for the next few days. Don't forget to tag us if you do get out and about, we'd love to see your photos.

1. Don't Mow Your Lawn - No Mow May is still in full swing and our lawns are looking wild to say the least. One of the easiest ways to help nature is by doing nothing, letting the daisies, dandelions and clover grow supports bees and butterflies. Even a small wild patch can make a huge difference.

2. Put Water Our For Wildlife - We're used to seeing bird baths, but the smaller creatures get thirsty too after all their hard work! We recommend filling a small dish with pebbles and shells so that insects can easily climb out if they fall in.

3. Look Out For Butterflies - The first summer butterflies will start appearing soon alongside the overwintered species. Peacocks, orange-tips and speckled woods are all on the wing now. Head to coastal paths and south-facing hedges for the best chance and check out the ID sheets on our website: https://pollinatorproject.gg/educational-resources/

4. Check on Your Bee Hotels - Red Mason Bees will be emerging - see if you can spot the difference between the males and the females. Check out our ID sheets for more info. Now is also a brilliant time to put out new Bee Hotels - follow our tutorial here to make your own! https://pollinatorproject.gg/bug-hotels/

5. Sow Some Pollinator Friendly Flowers - Even if you're new to gardening, give it a go and you never know! Flowers like sunflowers, cosmos and marigolds are easy to grow and the pollinators will really thank you when they bloom later on in the summer.

6 - BONUS! - Vote for our Fort Field Restoration project in the Intact Insurance Channel Islands People's Choice Award! We are shortlisted but we need your help...voting closes on Sunday so show your support here https://intactinsuranceci.com/community/conservation-awards/bailiwick-shortlist

Thank you!

Have a lovely weekend everyone 🐝

🌼 We’re delighted to share that the Fort Field Project, managed by The Pollinator Project, has been shortlisted as one of just nine finalists for the Intact Insurance People’s Choice Award in the 2026 Conservation Awards! 🏆 Whilst all of the finalist projects are excellent, we’d be so grateful for your support for Fort Field Restoration. 💚
🗳️ Please vote here: https://intactinsuranceci.com/community/conservation-awards/bailiwick-shortlist. ⏰ Voting closes at 23:30 on Sunday 24 May 2026. Thank you to all of our sponsors and volunteers for helping champion local conservation. 🌿

Thanks to everyone who made it to Bees and Beyond film and presentation, you really made it a fun atmosphere. "What is the biggest pollinator in Guernsey?", what a great question! We hope you enjoyed it. Flygirl, Dr Erica McAlister, had a fabulous visit to our island in the sun. Well done to Liz Sweet, Miranda Bane and the Wild Islands team.

It's set to be a lovely, busy weekend - here are five things that you can do over the next few days to help the pollinators and have fun yourself!

1. Come along to our film premier and Q&A with World Fly Expert Dr Erica McAllister at the Performing Arts Centre - tickets available here https://www.prcpa.gg/event/109376. Suitable for all ages - PLUS all who attend will be in with the chance of winning a trip for 2 to London!

2. Get started on a pollinator patch. Now is the perfect time to get started - visit our website for the tutorial! https://pollinatorproject.gg/how-to-create-a-pollinator-patch/

3. Check out the amazing foxglove tree at Fort Field! This unusual tree is great for bees, short and long tongued. Why not have a look at all our hard work planting up there whilst you're visiting?

4. Leave the dandelions - and the rest of your lawn too. It's a few weeks til No Mow May but that doesn't mean you can't get a head start - the pollinators will thank you.

5. ID some solitary bees - they are all coming out now the weather has warmed up. Grab an ID sheet from our websitehttps://pollinatorproject.gg/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Solitary-Bees-in-Guernsey.pdf and see how many different species you can spot!

Happy weekend everyone 🐝

Pollinator Project Guernsey - charity dedicated to the conservation of wild insects and their habitat - and gardening for wildlife. We promote the conservation of Guernsey’s pollinating insects -wild bees and butterflies, moths, bugs and beetles, and the health of their supporting ecosystems