In Ireland, Data Centers Team Up to Save the Bees

On Friday more than 100 members and associates of Host In Ireland gathered in County Wicklow to plant 2,000 indigenous Irish trees to help create a safe habitat and food for bees. The DCs for Bees initiative is envisioned as a long-term program to reverse the decline in Ireland’s bee population.

Bees are not only an indicator of healthy biodiversity, but are also crucial in the production of more than 70% of the world’s food. Bees were recently declared the most important living beings on this planet by the Earthwatch Institute of the Royal Geographical Society of London, which cited their role in pollinating plants and the fact that bees carry no pathogens.

About one-third of Ireland’s bee species are threatened with extinction. At the current rate of decline, scientists project that 90 percent of bumblebees in Ireland will be wiped out by 2050.

“The people in the Irish data center industry told us that they wanted to do something impactful, but individually, it’s hard to make a difference,” said Garry Connolly, Founder and President of Host in Ireland. “We saw an opportunity to bring them together, working collaboratively, alongside competitors to do something for the greater good. Today marks the first step in this initiative that will deliver a plan for our entire industry to support the health and survival of bees through action, advocacy and awareness.”

Friday’s launch is the beginning of a broader initiative that will include a toolkit to enable Host In Ireland members, and the industry as a whole, to make an impact on their properties, in their community and within their global companies. It aims to support education, advocacy, awareness and meaningful action to improve bee populations.

“This is the first time that we had a call from an industry willing to work together on such a project,” said Jim Lawlor from the Irish Native Woodland Trust. “It’s fantastic to be able to take this opportunity to promote native woodland habitat for our wildlife – particularly birds and insects. We are grateful to Host In Ireland and their members for helping to create two entire acres of new tree groves on our reserve here in Laragh, County Wicklow and we are looking forward to watching them grow for years to come.”