Food for People and Pollinators
Do you grown your own food? Scientists at the University of Sussex are looking for growers in Brighton & Hove to volunteer to become 'citizen scientists' and help us learn more about which insects are pollinating the food you grow.
Sign up to volunteer with Team PollinATE and you will:
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Learn how to identify bees and other pollinators
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Find out how much your home-grown food is worth
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Meet other growers in the city
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Help to advance science!
THE SCIENCE
A fifth of the world's food is grown in urban areas, but we know very little about how it is produced. With your help, we are trying to understand:
Which insects pollinate crops grown in urban areas?
How much food can small urban growing spaces provide?
Which are the most common pests and how are they controlled?
CONTACT US:
NEW for 2018!
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Collecting data as part of Team Pollinator is easy!
Click the images to find out more!
COUNT POLLINATORS
MEASURE HARVESTS
RECORD PESTS
SUPER STRAWBERRIES
New for 2018!
RECENT UPDATES
Team PollinATE was founded in 2017, and already our volunteers have collected lots of interesting data! At the end of the growing season we held a feedback event for volunteers to find out what they enjoyed about taking part as well as how we could improve things. Based on this feedback, this year we have organised more practical training events (see our What's On page), simplified the methods and added a community forum to the site where volunteers can ask questions and share photos. Why not sign up today!
This year we are also working with scientists and urban farmers in Kolkata, India, so that we can compare urban growing practices across the globe. For updates on this part of the project, keep an eye on our Blog.
MEET THE TEAM
Professor Dave Goulson
Dave specializes in the ecology and conservation of bumblebees. Author of the bestselling A Sting in the Tale and A Buzz in the Meadow. See Dave's YouTube channel "Dave Goulson " and also follow Dave’s blog, here, and also found on twitter @DaveGoulson.
Dr Beth Nicholls
Beth is the co-ordinator of Team Pollinator and will be your first point of contact. Based at the University of Sussex, Beth is interested in the behaviour and conservation of bumblebees and solitary bees, and has a passion for engaging the people with scientific research. You can follow her on Twitter @BethBees.