About the RestPoll Toolbox

• Introduction
• Who is this toolbox for?
• What is a tool?
• Examples of pollinator restoration tools
• Why are tools important for restoring pollinator habitats?
• What is a toolbox?
• How have we assembled the RestPoll Toolbox? 

Introduction

The EU RestPoll project is an EU funded project, aiming to permanently restore pollinator habitats, improve connectivity, and solidify Europe as a global leader in pollinator restoration. 

As part of this project, RestPoll is developing a “Pollinator Restoration Toolbox”, intended to empower anyone interested in helping pollinators to take action to restore pollinator habitats. RestPoll is an Innovation Action project and so is focussed on developing new or improved products, processes, or services. 

What is a tool?

On hearing the word “tool”, you’d be forgiven for thinking of something like a shovel or screwdriver! However, the RestPoll Toolbox doesn’t contain physical items like these. Instead, we have practical resources that can people understand, plan or take action to support pollinators and restoring their habitats.  

Tools can take the form of websites, documents, mobile phone apps, databases, and software. Although these tools may be very different in how they look and what they do, they all share a common purpose which is to support informed and effective action for pollinator restoration. 

We have brought together pollinator restoration tools designed to support a wide range of users, from farmers to citizen scientists. 

Some tools provide step-by-step guidance for hands-on actions, such as how to plant a flowering hedgerow or create pollinator-friendly habitats. Others support pollinator conservation in different ways, for example by:

• Helping people learn about pollinators and why they matter 
• Supporting monitoring and data collection 
• Informing decision-making in land management or business practices 
• Raising awareness and promoting conservation 

Together, these tools support both direct actions (e.g. habitat restoration) and indirect actions (e.g. education, planning, and policy), all of which contribute to the conservation of pollinators and restoration of their habitats. 

Why are tools important for restoring pollinator habitats?

There are many barriers that can make getting involved in pollinator conservation and habitat restoration more difficult. Pollinator ecology is complex, and it can be challenging to find accurate and evidence-based guidance on how to get involved and do the “right” things. Additionally, information is often presented in terms or language that is not readily accessible to people outside the scientific community. There are also many different perspectives to consider; it is easier to imagine how a citizen scientist or a farmer might take action for pollinators, but how does a bank or a business get involved and what does this look like?  

This is where tools come in. Just like a shovel or a screwdriver, tools help us to carry out actions more effectively and efficiently. Pollinator restoration tools can therefore empower and enable stakeholders of all kinds to engage with pollinator conservation.

For example, tools can enable pollinator conservation by:

• Helping people learn about pollinators and actions that can directly support them and their habitats
• Enabling stakeholders to assess the risks, costs and benefits of carrying out certain actions, thus improving consideration of pollinators in decision-making processes
• They can bridge the gaps between citizen scientists and national monitoring schemes, supporting data collection on pollinator population declines and responses.
• And many more!

What is a toolbox?

The toolbox is where you can find the tools we have collected and developed. Just like a toolbox, there are different sections for different categories of tools.

These include dedicated pages that may be directly applicable to specific users (e.g. Pollinator Restoration for Beginners), as well as a page where you can browse the entire collection of tools, using the filter function to search the collection based on your interests and needs.

Each tool is presented with information on what it does, who can use it, and where to find it.

How have we assembled the RestPoll Toolbox? 

The RestPoll Toolbox has been assembled first by collecting appropriate tools from a range of sources. 

First, we utilised a newly published systematic map of pollinator restoration tools, as developed by Ciara Dwyer et al. (2025) as part of the SAFEGUARD project. This is a very comprehensive database of pollinator-related tools. Using this, we filtered out tools that focussed on or had relevance specifically to wild pollinators and which were freely accessible (i.e. still available and not behind a paywall).  

Then, in collaboration with the VALOR project, we ran a survey with a variety of stakeholders that asked about tools stakeholders have or are currently using, and tools they would like to see developed. From this survey, we identified a number of tools that stakeholders use and value, and so have included many of these in our toolbox. 

The RestPoll Toolbox is currently hosted on a standalone website, where users can find tools of specific relevance to them, get advice on where to start with pollinator restoration, or simply browse our collection of tools and find information on how to access these.  

As it is still in development, we look forward to receiving your feedback on the RestPoll Toolbox. As RestPoll takes a “Living Lab” approach, we look forward to co-designing this toolbox directly with stakeholders and developing a resource that empowers societal engagement with pollinator conservation across Europe.