Northumberland Wildlife Trust Biodiversity Monitoring

Northumberland Wildlife Trust (NWT) has partnered with AgriSound to launch a pioneering two-year project at the Trust’s West Chevington site, using bioacoustic technology to monitor and protect pollinator populations.

Project Duration:
2025-2027

Project Location:
Northumberland, UK

Objective:
To restore and safeguard bee populations by gathering real-time ecological data that informs conservation strategies and engages local communities.

Technology:
🐝 Deployment of nine Polly™ solar-powered acoustic sensors across diverse habitats (woodlands, meadows, wetlands, scrubland).
🐝 Devices track pollinator activity continuously, with data delivered via an interactive online dashboard.

Significance:
🐝 First-of-its-kind use of bioacoustic pollinator monitoring in a UK wildlife trust-led conservation project.
🐝 Provides robust evidence of how habitat restoration impacts pollinators.
🐝 Enhances community engagement by sharing conservation impact in accessible, visual ways.
🐝 Acts as a national model for integrating technology into biodiversity monitoring frameworks.

Impact Goals:
🐝 Guide adaptive habitat management with real-time insights.
🐝 Demonstrate measurable biodiversity improvements to funders, partners, and the public.
🐝 Inspire wider adoption of pollinator monitoring across UK conservation groups.