Esri Ireland creates a buzz on World Bee Day

Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has created an interactive digital map of the Voluntary Conservation Areas of the Native Irish Honeybee around Ireland to celebrate World Bee Day 2021.

The map was built using Esri’s ArcGIS mapping system.

A total of 18 areas across Ireland have been declared Voluntary Conservation Areas by local beekeeping associations, as part of an all-island approach by the Native Irish Honeybee Society (NIHBS) to protect and promote our native honeybee (Apis mellifera mellifera).

Of the 99 species of bee in Ireland, this is the only one native to our shores. Originally feared extinct in Ireland, a recent study found that millions of this native bee are, in fact, living in at least 300 hives across the country. While they should still be considered endangered, the study proved that Ireland now has potentially the greatest reserve of Apis mellifera mellifera in the world, and could help to restock the population of Northern Europe.

This is the fourth observance of World Bee Day, and the theme for 2021 is “Bee Engaged – Build Back Better for Bees”. The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators.