Bioacoustic Ag-tech pioneer AgriSound partners with parish council on future-focused biodiversity enhancement project to monitor local pollinator abundance

The parish council of Enborne, a village near Newbury has partnered with bioacoustic agtech trailblazers, AgriSound, on a biodiversity project to monitor pollinator levels across two significant locations in the local area: Enborne Primary School and Enborne Community Farm. The innovative collaboration is part of an effort to improve biodiversity and ensure the health of critical pollinator species across the parish.

Pollinators, such as bees, are essential for food production and environmental health. With pollinator populations facing global decline, the partnership between AgriSound and Enborne Parish Council will seek to gather valuable data on local bee activity and support ongoing conservation efforts.

AgriSound’s AI bioacoustics pollinator monitoring devices ‘Polly’ will be deployed across these key sites to provide real-time data on pollinator abundance and behaviours across the parish.

Casey Woodward, founder & CEO of AgriSound said: “We are excited to partner with Enborne Parish Council on this important initiative. Pollinators are vital to support biodiversity and maintain balance in our ecosystems. They are also fundamental for food production with 75% of what we eat dependent on pollination. By monitoring them closely at the school and community farm, not only will this help safeguard local biodiversity, but Enborne will also be able to better understand their role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and empower the next generation with hands-on learning about environmental conservation.”

AgriSound will install the solar powered, bioacoustic AI monitoring devices at Enborne Primary School as part of the school’s sustainability and environmental education curriculum, offering students the chance to engage directly with technology that supports local wildlife.

Meanwhile, the Enborne Farming community will benefit from real-time data that the Polly monitoring devices provide to desk-top dashboard or mobile app which will help inform best practices for creating a pollinator-friendly environment.

Sam Dibas, Enborne Parish Councillor, sharing his enthusiasm for the project said: “This initiative is a win for both the environment and the community. By collaborating with AgriSound, we can ensure that pollinator activity in our green spaces is being monitored with cutting-edge technology, and we look forward to seeing how we can use the resulting data to inform our habitat management and how it is having a positive impact on both pollinator populations and our local environment more generally.”

The project at both locations is set to begin in October 2025, with data collection running throughout the seasons to track pollinator trends and responses to changes in habitat management.

Val Bolan, Enborne Parish Council Chair, said ‘ This is a very exciting project and we look forward to supporting biodiversity and doing our part for future generations.’