During the recent Biodiversa+ Enlarged Stakeholder Board meeting in Paris, we got valuable insights that will help us to maximise the impact of PolliConnect.
The main output is the power of collaboration.
Biodiversa+
brings together researchers, policymakers, businesses, and practitioners, all
working towards the same goal: stronger biodiversity. That mix of perspectives
and the rich dialogue ensures that knowledge is shared and applied in
real-world contexts.
There are some concrete takeaways for PolliConnect:
- Stakeholder engagement (WP3) is a core driver of impact.
This leads to the second point, about the importance of citizen science.
- Planned citizen science (WP1 – WP2 – WP3) masterclasses
and toolkits (developed with partners such as ECSA and iNaturalist) could
strongly align with PolliConnect’s living labs and citizen science
deliverables.
There is potential for mutual learning and even co-development.
- Advancing biodiversity monitoring (WP2).
New approaches such as DNA-based insect monitoring (e.g. Metabug) and pilot projects like Biodiv Pond demonstrate how monitoring can evolve. These developments may complement and strengthen PolliConnect’s own monitoring protocols. And vice versa; the PolliConnect WP2 deliverables and lessons learned can enrich the monitoring activities within Biodiversa+, such as the BioDash project.
- Biodiversa+ provides a rich knowledge hub (WP1 and WP3) and extensive experience in stakeholder engagement at policy level. This is a valuable resource to avoid 'reinventing the wheel', to receive input and expertise from a variety of fields and domains, and to strengthen our own policy impact.
There’s a lot we can learn from and build on.
The
key message is simple: we go further when we work together.
By staying connected to initiatives like Biodiversa+, we can strengthen our
work, share knowledge, and make sure our impact lasts.