Study hopes to show positive impact of lower pesticide use
A GUERNSEY collaboration between the Pollinator Project and the University of Bristol has secured about £1m. in funding from the UK to study Channel Island pollinators.
The four-year research programme will focus on studying the real-time implications of pesticide reduction on pollinator populations on an island scale and is the first of its kind.
Dr Miranda Bane, a UK-based pollinator ecologist who grew up in Guernsey, will be leading the work across Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney and Sark.
Dr Bane said the programme would showcase the Channel Islands as world leaders in the research area.
‘To be able to bring research expertise on pollinators back to the islands, to help protect and enhance our natural environment, has been my goal since choosing an academic career.’
She said the journey to securing the programme’s funding from UK body the Natural Environment Research Council had taken almost four years and involved significant collaboration between researchers at the University of Bristol – led by Professor Jane Memmott – and local Pollinator Project volunteers.
‘The Channel Islands themselves were not eligible for the funding, so I explained my vision to Jane and she was very interested, and eventually the proposal to NERC was made through the university.
‘Insects are in decline globally. If we can show that a reduction in pesticide use has a positive impact on the number of pollinators across the islands it will be the first time evidence on this sort of scale is produced.’
While pesticide use as part of large-scale agricultural farming was not a problem in the Channel Islands, Dr Bane said domestic use of pesticides in gardens was, and the research team hoped to encourage pollinator conservation through a variety of different research methods.
‘We will be undertaking fieldwork every summer for the next four years carrying out statistical and DNA analysis.
‘Eventually we hope to be able to identify patterns and trends within the data and build up a sizeable genetic library which can then be used as a future resource and a full record of the species collected.’
The research will create on-island career opportunities, including a full-time research technician to join the programme early next year.
Additional annual research internships, a PhD position, and multiple master’s degree study opportunities will be advertised on the Pollinator Project website.
‘All of the money granted is going towards research, while the outreach for the programme has been done by Pollinator Project volunteers,’ Dr Bane said.
‘I want to say a huge thank you to all the people involved. The funders and reviewers were very impressed by our proposal and I can’t wait to get going.’
