Key drivers for people to protect pollinator insects
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Over the last few years, interest in the conservation of insect pollinators has grown due to major concerns about their decline. However, a key piece of missing information for implementing conservation actions is an understanding of what motivates people to protect pollinators. We investigated what drives people’s willingness (or reluctance) to engage in pollinator conservation across Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, and found that:
• Moral obligation, shared responsibility, and awareness of pollinators’ ecological importance were key drivers of conservation behaviour.
• Social support and belief in the effectiveness of personal actions further encouraged engagement.
• Individuals active in outdoor nature activities (e.g. hiking, gardening) were more likely to support pollinators.
• Planting nectar- and pollen-rich flowers was the most popular conservation action, while participation in monitoring programs was the least.
Raising awareness about pollinators’ ecological importance and promoting nature-based experiences that build emotional connection and appreciation are key strategies for encouraging public support. These approaches are promising and broadly applicable, even in countries with differing sociocultural and economic backgrounds.
Link to the study: https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10656
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Safeguard - Safeguarding European wild pollinators
Ongoing | 2021-2026
- Main funding source
- Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Germany