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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 24th May 2022
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New app to help reverse decline in pollinators
“We are encouraging people to give just 10 minutes of their time to count the pollinating insects they see using this app" - Rebecca Pow.
Government asks public to collect data on garden visitors.

The public is being asked to count bees, butterflies and other pollinators using a free app in their gardens and green spaces.

The new FIT Counts app will help track pollinator numbers and movements, providing crucial data that the government can use to support pollinators in their natural environment. 

It forms part of Defra's new “Pollinator Action Plan”, which aims to improve nature recovery and reverse declines in these species.

FIT Counts, supported by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, asks people to spend 10 minutes a day collecting data on the number of insects that visit particular patches of flowers, including dandelion, buttercup and lavender.

Data gathered will be used to help the government and conservationists understand where pollinators are declining or how populations are shifting in response to climate change.

Defra's new Pollinator Action Plan promises to focus on a number of key areas, including:
  • strengthening the evidence base to improve understanding of trends and impacts on pollination; 
  • managing land more effectively to encourage better-connected habitat and recovered species; 
  • sustaining pollinator health of managed and wild populations’ by supporting beekeepers and bee farmers, ensuring there is surveillance of diseases and invasive species, as well as research and advice; and 
  • engaging the public through Bees’ Needs events, alongside celebrating successes and promoting a wide range of training. 

Announcing the app at the Chelsea Flower Show on Monday (23 May), environment minister Rebecca Pow said: “We all want to see an abundance of butterflies and bees in our gardens, parks and countryside. We are encouraging people to give just 10 minutes of their time to count the pollinating insects they see using this app to help us track their numbers and movements and support our efforts to reverse the decline of these vital species.”

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.