This week Thomas Slattery spoke with Matthew Elmes and Owen Finnie at Pollenize, using technology and innovation to improve pollinator conservation.

Pollenize CIC was founded by born and bred Plymouthians (and best friends) Matthew Elmes and Owen Finnie in 2018. Pollenize was started as an unassuming initiative to create better access to beekeeping equipment and local honey. 

Matt and Owen read that local honey was a good way to immunise the symptoms of hay fever, an allergy that both suffer from quite severely! Without being able to find this easily, they took it upon themselves to seek out innovative and accessible ways to keep honey bees in an urban landscape.

Four years on since their humble beginnings, Pollenize has been catapulted on an incredible journey fuelled by a sheer fascination with the bees, moths, butterflies and all pollinators, their crucial role for a healthy planet and most importantly what we can do as humans to protect them. 

As a result, our social enterprise has gained huge momentum, leading them to become a key player in driving environmental research and social change within their city and beyond.