Sustainable human development means living in harmony with nature. One of the most important aspects of rearticulating human development is to emphasize the need for fairness to nature and other living beings. We cannot be developed unless our lives become reconnected and in balance, cooperation and harmony with nature. A good balance between indigenous knowledge and modern science and technology can take us a long way towards this new vision of sustainable human development, says Yanfen Wang.

How can golf help save the bees?

Guest article from All-Ireland Pollinator Plan

When you think of your local golf course, you probably don’t think of bees, other than to hope there won’t be any buzzing around you when you’re trying to play a shot.  

So, you might be surprised to hear that golf courses are in a perfect position to help these small creatures, who have a surprisingly large role to play in our world.

What are pollinators, and why are they important?

Bees are among a group of insects known as pollinators, which facilitate the reproduction of plants by carrying pollen between flowers. Across the world, we rely on bees to pollinate 71% of the 100 crops that provide 90% of the world’s food. So it’s not an exaggeration to say that we depend on them for our survival, as well as healthy plants that support a huge amount of other life. 

On the island of Ireland, we have 100 different types of wild bee. One third are threatened with extinction. This is mainly because we have drastically reduced the habitats that provide them with food and safe nesting sites. 

Aiming to tackle this problem, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) was set up in 2015, implemented by Ireland’s National Biodiversity Data Centre. Now in its second phase from 2021–2025, this cross-border framework aims to bring together different groups across the island of Ireland to create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive. 

The AIPP produces sector-specific guidelines for pollinator-friendly management of different spaces from schools to sports clubs, faith communities to councils. In 2019, the AIPP worked in collaboration with the Golf Course Superintendent Association of Ireland to produce guidelines for the pollinator-friendly management of golf courses. 

What can golf courses do to help?

With over 300 golf courses across the island, it’s easy to see how they have the potential to play a vital role in helping pollinators. The guidelines for golf courses recommend five simple actions to help pollinators:

1. Manage meadow areas for pollinators

The main problem for pollinators is hunger; there isn’t enough food in the landscape to support them. The best action we can take to help is restore the valuable ‘species-rich grassland’ meadows, which contain an abundance of the wildflowers they evolved alongside. And the way to do this couldn’t be simpler: just reduce mowing!

On areas of rough grass, changing the frequency of mowing allows common wildflowers such as clovers, knapweed and bird’s-foot-trefoil to naturally grow amongst the longer grass. This is the most cost-effective way to provide food for pollinators and other insects. 

2. Plant pollinator-friendly trees and bulbs

In order to survive, pollinators need flowers that produce lots of nectar (for energy) and pollen (for protein). Traditionally, a lot of deliberate planting has been with annuals such as begonia, primula or busy lizzie; or with bulbs such as daffodil or tulip. Unfortunately, these are not good sources of pollen or nectar (as they have been bred to be very “showy”) and do not provide food for bees and other insects. There are many other plants that can look similarly attractive but will also support our pollinators

3. Make the area around the clubhouse and pro-shop pollinator-friendly

Perennial flower beds placed around the clubhouse and course grow back year after year and provide a vital pollinator food source. Incorporating pollinator-friendly plants in window boxes, hanging baskets or other containers can be very colourful and brighten up any clubhouse. 

4. Reduce use of pesticides

Insecticides can harm pollinators directly, killing them outright or affecting their behaviour and ability to complete their life cycle. Fungicides and herbicides harm pollinators indirectly; herbicides can greatly reduce the wildflowers that pollinators depend on for food, while fungicides can increase the toxicity of some insecticides.

5. Provide nesting places for wild bees

Pollinators need a food source near their nest. Wild bees don’t make honey, so they have no way of storing food. Consequently, they are never more than a few days away from starvation. Most bees only forage within a few hundred metres of their nest, so it’s crucial that there is a reliable supply of food for them in the landscape. Creating good nesting habitats is simple and inexpensive. It is also completely safe: wild bees do not live in large colonies that need to be defended as honeybees do. They have no interest in humans, are not aggressive and pose no threat.

Pollinator-friendly wildflower meadows at Childwall Golf Club

To get started, identify existing pollinator-friendly habitats on your golf course. Where are the areas of long grass, flowering trees, or stone walls? Chances are that pollinators are already using these areas for food and shelter, so prioritise protecting them. If you would like signs to help explain why you are managing certain areas in a certain way, the AIPP has signage templates you can download from the resources page on their website pollinators.ie

Then, put together a plan for how you might implement some actions for pollinators in other areas. You don’t need to do everything at once – even one of the five recommended actions will make a difference. 

To see in full how golf courses can help stop the decline of bees, read our guidelines for the management of golf courses. There are also many other resources on the pollinators.ie website.

If every golf course took on board a few pollinator-friendly actions, it would dramatically change the fortunes of wild bees. Together, we can create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive.