FIT Counts: How to Monitor Pollinators in 10 minutes

Speaker: Michelle Larkin - NBDC's Pollinator Research Officer
Level: Suitable for beginners - no specific knowledge necessary.

 
New to recording or wanting to upskill?
As flowers begin to bloom and more bumblebees and butterflies emerge, it’s the perfect time to get ready for the busy biodiversity recording season ahead.
 
Whether you're completely new to recording or looking to build your skills, this webinar will give you everything you need to get started with 10-minute pollinator monitoring.
 
The session will cover how FIT Counts or Flower-Insect-Timed-Count surveys work, what data is collected and why it matters, how your FIT Counts contribute to understanding pollinator trends, and practical tips on how to recognise different insect groups.
 
Discover how you can play a vital role in monitoring bumblebees and butterflies on your business site, in your garden, in your local park, or anywhere you find a patch of flowers.
 
How does this webinar apply to my business?
Flower-Insect-Timed-Counts, or FIT Counts, are listed as Action 22 of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan’s Businesses: actions to help pollinators evidence-based guidelines.
 
N.B. The NBDC has permission to use the App structure from the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (UKPoMs) for Ireland. Sites located in Northern Ireland/rest of the UK can also conduct and submit via the same App.
 
FIT Counts are an easy, entry-level, scientifically robust way of tracking insect abundance as you make changes on your business site, in your garden, or through local community sponsorship, in line with the AIPP evidence-based actions.
 
How do we track easily if AIPP actions are working On-site?

• Invite Biodiversity Champion(s), your Green Team, or colleagues to start submitting either monthly or weekly FIT Counts from 1 April through to 30 September.

• Watch a 50cm2 patch of flowers (e.g. Clover) for 10 minutes and ‘tap what you see’ (e.g. Bumblebee, Butterfly etc.).

• If you haven’t already, consider centralising FIT Count data gathering by creating a biodiversity@companyX.com email.

Discover some simple FIT Count ‘rules of the road’ on this free webinar.