North Ayrshire Council is offering free packs of plants to residents to help support butterflies, bees and other pollinators at a series of community consultation events throughout summer.
The give-away is part of the Council’s ongoing work through the North Ayrshire Nature Network (NANN), which is the blueprint for tackling the nature emergency and adapting to climate change locally.
One of the key drivers for biodiversity loss is land use change where, over time, habitats have been lost – and Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
Nature Networks are being delivered across Scotland to improve connectivity and reverse declines in biodiversity. These connect nature-rich sites, restoration areas and other environmental projects through a series of areas of suitable habitat, habitat corridors and stepping stones.
The NANN strategy helps by driving actions like regenerating the natural environment, empowering communities to play their part and improving habitat quality for wildlife.
In partnership with the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, Council Officers will be attending a series of local consultation events in the coming weeks and will hand out free NANN Pollinator Plant packs.
The packs can be planted in residents’ gardens or outdoor spaces, providing food for butterflies, bees and other pollinators. They will also help people across our communities to play their part in the NANN.
Each pollinator pack will contain two garden perennial plants (varieties with a longer lifespan that normally come back every year) and two seed packets for sowing.
The plants will flower at different times across the year, making sure that our pollinators always have a source of nectar to feed on.
The community events, where residents can speak to Council officers in person, are as follows:
- KA Leisure Fun Day at St Matthew’s Sports Hub, Saltcoats, from 11am to 2pm on Friday, 24 July
- KA Leisure Fun Day at Kilwinning Sports Club from11am to 2pm on Friday, 31 July
- Three Towns Growers Duck Day at Elm Park Allotments, Ardrossan, from 12:30pm to 5pm on Saturday, 1 August
- KA Leisure Fun Day at Vikingar, Largs from 11am to 2pm on Friday, 7 August
- Brodick Highland Games at Ormidale Park from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, 8 August
- Garnock Valley Lochshore Games Fun Day at Lochshore Park, Kilbirnie, from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday, 8 August
- Dalry Sports Day at Dalry Public Park from noon to 3pm on Wednesday, 12 August
- Irvine Makers Market at the Scottish Maritime Museum from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, 15 August
- Irvine Flower Show in the Volunteer Rooms from 1pm to 7:30pm on Monday, 24 August
- Kilwinning Flower Show at Abbey Hall from 2pm to 7:30pm on Thursday, 27 August and
- The Viking Festival at Largs promenade from noon to 5pm on Saturday, 29 August.
At the above events, anyone who attends can share their opinions on the five key themes of: Spaces For Nature; Challenges To Nature; Engaging With Nature; Green Skills And Nature and Economy And Nature.
Quote: While the Council is leading the way with the Nature Networks, we would like people in our communities to get involved and share their thoughts and opinions. By attending one of the public consultation events and picking up some free plants and seeds, residents across the six localities can show their support for the North Ayrshire Nature Network. Planting the seeds and plants will really help by providing food for butterflies, bees and other pollinators.
Quote from: Councillor Eleanor Collier, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy
Published: 15 July 2026
