Photo: Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
It’s time to come together for #TheBigBuzz
The Big Buzz! National Pollinator Conference & Fringe 2022 is the UK’s biggest gathering of pollinator enthusiasts and professionals, organised and hosted by the Get Cumbria Buzzing! pollinators project - a Cumbria Local Nature Partnership project, coordinated and led by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
It will highlight projects and communities that are making a tangible impact on the ground; projects and people that are giving our pollinators a better chance of not just hanging on, but thriving.
The state of pollinators in 2022...where next & what can we do?
Concern about the decline in pollinator species is constantly in the news, and people are worried. It seems a picture of doom and gloom, but this nationally important conference & fringe gives way to some hope.
The Big Buzz! National Pollinator Conference on 23 September, in Carlisle, will dive into the world of pollinator decline and look for solutions. It will seek agreement about how we proceed forward at our community level, stakeholder level and higher. You'll have the opportunity to understand the issues, and develop your own solutions to the problems.
This will be the first in person, large scale, pollinator gathering since the pandemic. Our conference host - the University of Cumbria - is making sure it's a safe and secure environment. We warmly invite you to a reunion of friends & colleagues - old and new - to share, learn and work together.
The main session of the conference will be streamed LIVE if you cant' make it in person.
The Big Buzz! Conference programme
23 September daytime, at the University of Cumbria’s Brampton Road Campus, Carlisle:
Talks & interactive workshops
Get informed by our wonderful Keynote Speakers and inspired by great case studies from pollinator projects across the UK. We need to collectively build a new approach to understanding the issues surrounding pollinator recovery, Speakers will be followed by workshops and case studies allowing you to develop your own take-away action plans.
Conference programme
8.45 Registration Opens
9.15 Welcome from Cumbria Wildlife Trust
9.20 Opening Brigit Strawbridge
9.30 Key Note Speaker 1 - Jeff Ollerton (Live stream) "What does climate change mean for pollinators and pollination?"
10.15 A choice of workshops
Workshop 1 Mark Schofield “Transforming road verges, for wildlife, for climate, for us”
Workshop 2 Graham Jackson-Pitt and Tanya St Pierre “Pollinator Projects in Cumbria”
Workshop 3 Jacqui Cottam and Karen Harper "The Bee Team at Heron Hill Primary – Bonkers About Bees"
10.45 Break
11.10 Key Note Speaker 2 - Jim Jeffrey (Live stream) "Scotland's Pollinator Strategy 2007-2017"
11.55
Workshop 4 Lynne Bates "Scottish Wildlife Trust's Nectar Network"
Workshop 5 Emma Lansdell (Live stream) "The experiences and lessons learnt so far from Kent's Plan Bee"
Workshop 6 Paul Evans (Live stream) "Developing and turning multi-partner pollinator recovery plans into action"
12.30 Key Note Speaker 3 Stephen Elderkin and Chloe O’Hare “‘A connected country, a thriving environment’”
13.10 Lunch
14.10 Key Note Speaker 4 - Morag McCraken “Pollinators and agri-environment schemes - the results from a four year survey”
14.55
Workshop 7 Ellen Lamborn & Richard Dawson “Taking Part in the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme”
Workshop 8 Martin Harvey and Gordon Port "Becoming a citizen scientist: wildlife recording and the North East Bee Hunt"
Workshop 9 Jamie Robins "Policy Impacts on Pollinators - a Discussion"
15.30 Key Note Speaker 5 - Dave Goulson “Saving our Insects”
16.10 Brigit Strawbridge - Plenary
16.30 Afternoon Refreshments
17.00 – 19.00 Cash bar and snacks
19.00 – 20.30 Wild Live
So, don’t delay! Reacquaint yourself with what is happening in the world of pollinators across the UK. Develop and gain new ideas and insights about how you can make the difference.
The conference is now fully booked but you can still attend the conference online through an a virtual ticket which will give you access to a live-stream, The workshops will be recorded and made available after the conference too.
Getting to Carlisle
How to get there by train
From the south
Trains from London (Euston) reach Carlisle in less than four hours on their way to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Getting to the Brampton road campus from the railway station is a short taxi ride, or a half hour walk across the city centre.
From the north
Carlisle is a major stopping point for all west coast main line services. Northern Rail provides a service to Carlisle from stations across northern England. Getting to the Brampton road campus from the railway station is a short taxi ride, or a half hour walk across the city centre.
Wild Live
23 September evening, at the University of Cumbria’s Brampton Road Campus, Carlisle:
Wild LIVE! - a panel discussion
The Big Buzz! National Pollinator Conference will be followed with a live Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts Wild LIVE! broadcast from the Stanwix theatre at the University of Carlisle’s Brampton Road Campus, Carlisle.
This panel discussion will be hosted by the CEO of The Wildlife Trusts, Craig Bennett. This pollinator themed special will have a passionate panel of experts: Dr Erica McAlister, Senior Curator for Diptera and Siphonaptera at The National History Museum and author; Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex and Ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts; Tanya St. Pierre, Planting for Pollinators Project Manager at Cumbria Wildlife Trust; and Rhodri Green, Senior Volunteer Coordinator at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. It'll give you the chance to question and get answers from the panel in person.
The Big Buzz! Fringe programme
Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th September
All our fringe events are free
Saturday 24th September
Full programme
10am-1pm Bioblitz (Swifts)
10am Family-friendly pollinator activities for children (Tullie House)
10am-3pm The Big Buzz Big Plant - help plant 4,000 plug plants (Swifts)
10am-3pm Solitary bee hotel building (Swifts)
10am – 3pm Nature drawing workshop (Swifts)
1-4pm Make mini bee puppets from paper and other recycled materials (Tullie House)
2pm-2.45pm Talk: ‘Flies, the forgotten pollinators’ Dr Erica McAlister from the Natural History Museum (Tullie House) Book here
3pm-3.45pm Talk: ‘Understanding the restoration of the Swifts – from Golf Course to Nature Haven’ Dr Alex Dittrich from the University of Cumbria (Tullie House) Book here
6.30pm-10pm Celebration of bees
More information
The Big Buzz Big Plant & Bioblitz
10am-3pm
Swifts Nature Reserve, Carlisle (next to the Sands Centre)
Getting to The Swifts Nature Reserve: Open Google Maps
Come and join Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Carlisle City Council to plant around 4,000 wildlife-friendly plants to help make a difference for bees and other pollinators. The Swifts has been transformed into a bee and butterfly haven and we need your help to top it up with more wildflowers to feed the local wildlife. Come and explore Swifts by by walking around our pollinator trail and win a small prize when you tick off all the little critters. In addition, there will be children's activities with Faye from Beehive and a bio-blitz in the morning with Dr Alex Dittrich. Free parking in the Swifts and Sands Centre car parks. No need to book, just turn up.
Pop-up science café, Bee Display, Bee Talks and Film night
10am-3.45pm
Tuille House Museum, Carlisle
Getting to Tullie House Museum: Open Google Maps
Join us for family-friendly activities in the morning, and take a look at our bee display, then in the afternoon make mini bee puppets from recycled paper. We have two talks in the afternoon: 'Flies the forgotten pollinators' by Dr Erica McAlister from the Natural History Museum, and a talk about the restoration of Swifts, an old golf course, for wildlife by University of Cumbria's Dr Alex Dittrich. We have the launch of Cumbria's first Bumblebee Atlas, along with talks and a film in the evening.
The Big Plant at Allonby Green
10am-3.00pm
Getting to Allonby Green Nature Reserve: Open Google Maps
Further out we will be holding another Big Plant event at Allonby Green nature reserve in partnership with the Solway AONB. We're looking to plant 2,000 plug plants so ‘many hands make little work’. We'll also be running a bio blitz with support from Cumbria Wildlife Trusts' Planting for Pollinators staff.
Celebration of bees
6.30pm-10pm
Tuille House Museum, Carlisle
Getting to Tullie House Museum: Open Google Maps
The evening will start at 6.30pm in the historic lecture theatre with the launch of the first Cumbrian Bumblebee Atlas, an account of the the native bumblebees of Cumbria. Contributing writers will present short portraits of some of our iconic Cumbrian species, and local naturalist Jane Orgee will talk about her journey as a recorder, in her presentation ‘Walking with my Camera’.
Following a short refreshment break the film ‘My Garden of a Thousand Bees’ will be premiered. This film was shot by the acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn during lockdown. Turning his lenses on his garden in Bristol, Martin recorded some surprising and spectacular bee activity.
Dr Erica McAlister will tell us about the amazing world of flies and how important they are
Talk: ‘Flies, the forgotten pollinators’ Dr Erica McAlister from the Natural History Museum
Science Café at Tullie House Lecture Theatre
Saturday 24th September, 2.00pm – 2.45pm
Dr Erica McAlister is a senior curator at the Natural History Museum, presenter and author with a lifelong passion for flies. Come and hear her talk about the essential role flies play in pollination ecology, and found out just how much we have under-estimated this fascinating group of insects.
Dr Alex Dittrich from the University of Cumbria will talk about the transformation of The Swifts, from golf course to nature reserve.
Science Café at Tullie House Lecture Theatre
Saturday 24th September, 3.00pm -3.45pm
Dr Alex Dittrich is an ecologist and senior lecturer from the University of Cumbria Zoology Team, with a particular interest in invertebrates. He will be giving us an exciting insight into how a golf course is gradually transforming into a city centre nature haven.
Sunday 25 September
The Big Buzz! at Gosling Sike
10:00am – 4:00pm
Getting to Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Gosline Sike: Open Google Maps
Full programme
10am-10.45am Discovering moths at Gosling Sike Book here
11am-12.30pm Pond dipping (no need to book)
11am-12pm Behind the scenes at Gosling Sike nursery and seed bank tour Book here
11.30pm-12.15pm Bug hunt guided nature walk (no need to book)
11.30am-12.15pm Flights of fancy stories with Frogg Book here
1pm-1.45pm Bug hunt guided nature walk (no need to book)
1.15pm-2pm Flights of fancy stories with Frogg Book here
1.30pm-3pm Pond dipping (no need to book)
1pm-2pm Wildlife gardening workshop Book here
2.30pm-3.15pm Flights of fancy stories with Frogg Book here
2.30pm-3.30pm Behind the scenes at Gosling Sike nursery and seed bank tour Book here
3pm-4pm Wildlife gardening workshop Book here
4.30pm – 5.15pm Bug hunt guided nature walk (no need to book): CANCELLED
All day activities:
Get creative drop in arts and creative writing activities for all ages.
Open garden and self-led trails.
Hoverfly @ Vaughn Matthews
Small copper butterfly @ Vaughn Matthews