Working with farmers to develop a range of relatively simple, low cost measures to help support wild pollinators across the farmed environment.
In 2017, the Nature Partnership worked with farmers to develop a range of relatively simple, low cost measures to help support wild pollinators across the farmed environment.
The focus of the project was to develop the measures in conjunction with farmers to ensure the end resource is practicable at the farm scale. To achieve this, the Nature Partnership worked with two clusters of Lincolnshire farmers: one in the Fens and one south of Lincoln.
Feedback has been gathered from farm managers throughout the project on the practical issues surrounding each measure to inform their development. A simple survey form has been designed to enable an assessment to be made of the amount of habitat already being provided on-farm and this was tested on each of the holdings involved in the project. Recommendations for improvements, based on the survey, were then put forward to each farm manager.
Monitoring of the implemented measures continued in summer 2018 and the same survey form can be used to assess both habitat improvements and, in the longer term, changes in pollinator numbers
A package of 24 measures to improve the wild pollinator habitat on your farm has now been produced along with more detailed information on how each measure benefits pollinators together with tips on how to manage them. The measures have been designed to apply primarily to arable holdings across Greater Lincolnshire and further afield although this will depend on factors such as the character of the local area.
It is very likely that consciously or otherwise, you are already implementing some of these measures. Recognising these and valuing their contribution to pollinator conservation will help to ensure this continues to be the case into the future.
If it is not possible to implement each measure across the whole farm, try to identify areas of most benefit in particular those adjacent to, or linking with, existing habitats such as hedgerows, field margins or wooded areas.
Helping landowners to learn more about the orchards they own and how to manage them better.
In recent years there have been substantial increases in the cropped area of maize in Greater Lincolnshire largely due to its use as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion.
A groundbreaking research report looking at the value of nature tourism to the economy of Greater Lincolnshire.