A native wild bee sanctuary in Co Wicklow has said it will struggle to stay open beyond the end of the month if it cannot secure funding.
Paul Handrick and his wife Clare-Louise Donelan founded the World Bee Sanctuary by turning their 55-acre farm into a nature reserve specifically aimed at protecting declining native bee species. It features a mix of habitats, including wildflower meadows, wetlands and hedgerows.
Heavy rains have prevented them from welcoming visitors since last November as their entrance road is largely impassable due to ongoing flooding. Hosting visiting groups and educational workshops is a vital revenue stream for the non-profit organisation.
"There are every-day expenses in running the place and on top of that, we have equipment we need to replace," Mr Handrick told RTÉ News.
"We need to be able to maintain the meadows, cut paths for people, put in flowerbeds and stuff like that, and when our equipment is so old and broken, we just can't."
Mr Handrick admitted that they were initially "embarrassed" to start a fundraising page, but were left with no other choice as "we have no way to earn an income in the short term".
Biodiversity Ireland says bumblebees are Ireland's most important wild pollinators.
Of the 21 bumblebee species in Ireland, four are endangered and two are regarded as vulnerable.
Mr Handrick said that despite the tough times they have faced, they are as driven as ever to make a difference.
"We're at the stage where we can’t be messing around anymore with climate change, the nature crisis, what's happening with bees and insects," he said.
"Bees are an indicator species and if we can get it right for bees, we can get it right for a lot of stuff. It all goes together.
"So we have to be aware of that and have to act. You know what it can be, what it could be, what it should be, and that drives us on."
