Webinar: FIT Counts to Monitor Pollinators

Our colleagues in the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC), which co-ordinates the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, have a free ‘Lunch & Learn’ webinar coming up on April 1st, 12pm – FIT Counts to Monitor Pollinators in 10 minutes.

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 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. Discover how you can play a vital role in monitoring bumblebees and butterflies on your business site, or anywhere you find a patch of flowers.

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.

Title: ‘FIT Counts: How to Monitor Pollinators in 10 minutes’
Speaker: Michelle Larkin – NBDC’s Pollinator Research Officer
Date: 1 April 2026, 12.00-13.00
Level: Suitable for beginners – no specific knowledge necessary.
Prior to the session: Download the FIT Count App – Android or ios
Register: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/nationalbiodiversitydatacentre/2017795

How does this webinar apply to my business?
Flower-Insect-Timed-Counts (FIT Counts) is listed at Action 22 of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan’s Businesses: actions to help pollinators evidence-based guidelines. They 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.).
Consider centralising FIT Count data gathering by creating a biodiversity@companyX.com email.

Register here for the NBDC webinar to learn more: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/nationalbiodiversitydatacentre/2017795