Over 50% of Scotland's pollinators have been driven to extinction in four decades, affecting biodiversity, agriculture, our economy and our wellbeing. Urgent action is required to provide habitats that support insect diversity and enable them to move across landscapes. The Ayrshire coast is a hotspot for rare and declining pollinators; one site was described as “one of the most important locations for bees and wasps, a key reservoir that could help bring biodiversity back into the countryside."

Pollinating insects need extensive, well-connected areas to forage, nest and overwinter; this project will address gaps in this vital connectivity in Ayrshire. We will do this by working with local partners and the community to create "re-fuelling points" for bees, butterflies, beetles and other insects. Alongside volunteers, we will sow wildflowers, manage wildflower meadows, plant pollinator-friendly trees and shrubs and install insect nesting structures such as "bee hotels".