Pollinate Sweden – turning knowledge into action for pollinators and biodiversity
Pollinate Sweden is a platform with a mission – we actively share knowledge about why pollinators are important. With creative campaigns, exhibitions and collaborations we reach out to municipalities, companies and the public – always with simple and inspiring messages.
“We want to spark curiosity and show how easy, meaningful and rewarding it is to care for the wild – everything that buzzes, blooms and lives around us.”
We are diversity evangelists!
Pollinate Sweden (in Swedish “Pollinera Sverige”) started in 2017. Since then, we have worked to show how important pollinating insects are – both for our food crops and for wild nature. Today, thanks to the relentless work that we and other influential organizations have done, this topic gets a lot of attention, and there is strong interest in learning more from both the public and the media.
Pollinate Sweden contributes to increase knowledge about pollinators, ecosystems and valuable plants by collecting facts and methods and making them accessible and attractive to the general public. One of our most important tools is the Pollination Week in May, which we launched eight years ago, and which has now spread across Sweden.
We also work long-term to change the norm for what a garden should be, what it should look like, what species it can contain and how it should be managed.
Small but efficient and professional
Pollinate Sweden was founded by Anna Lind Lewin, art director and creative leader of the project, and Lotta Fabricius Kristiansen, an expert and researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), focusing on pollination, beekeeping and knowledge systems.
Our project manager is Carin Granlund, who has many years of experience in leading non-profit projects.
In Sweden, there is a special word for what we do – “folkbildning” – which means education for everyone.
We produce fact-based educational materials that inspire curiosity and learning.
To reach our different audiences, we work with many formats – including exhibitions, books, films, podcasts, teaching material, posters and postcards. Several of these have even won awards. Everything we produce is carefully fact-checked by experts. Read more
Buzz – an exhibition that makes knowledge grow
One of Pollinate Sweden’s most popular ways of sharing knowledge is Buzz (Surr in Swedish) – an outdoor exhibition. It features close-up portraits of different pollinators, along with facts and inspiring messages. Visitors can learn about various pollinators and how people can help them thrive.
With striking photos, strong design and clear messages, Surr has been in high demand. So far, it has been shown in 16 locations across Sweden, including schools, universities, museums, parks and town squares. Read more
Surr is also available in a digital format in both Swedish and English, easy to download and use for education or communication. Our goal is to explain important connections, share knowledge and give everyone a chance to make a difference – each in their own way.
Weeds attract attention
With our campaign Love Weeds and the book Bible of Weeds, we want to show that many wild plants are unfairly called “weeds”. Any plant can be a weed if it grows in the wrong place! It is simply a plant that some people do not appreciate. Many so-called weeds are also important food sources for pollinators, including butterflies, bees, hoverflies and beetles.
To share this knowledge, we created a book and an exhibition in 2024, both in collaboration with the photographer Lena Granefelt, the author and plant forager/herbalist Lisen Sundgren and the biologist Niklas Johansson at the Swedish Species Information Centre.
The Bible of weeds received wide coverage in Swedish media. Read more
Fight against plant-blindness
Our next big campaign focuses on fighting plant-blindness – the growing lack of knowledge about plants, especially our native wild ones. This campaign will be launched in September 2025.
Pollinate Sweden builds on broad collaborations
We believe in joining forces and creating positive synergies with many different partners. In our projects, we regularly collaborate with specialists and experts. One example is our Pollinator of the Year (Årets Pollinatör) award, where a jury brings together expertise from many fields. Each year, we reward a person, company or organization that has made an outstanding effort to promote pollination and support pollinating insects.
We have also worked with the Botanical Garden in Gothenburg, Malmö City, Stockholm City, Södertälje Municipality, Karlstad Municipality, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, beekeepers and their organizations, Swedish Gardens, the Swedish Species Information Centre and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Through our podcast ”Love Weeds” (Älska ogräs) we highlight collaborations and celebrate pollination heroes.
Pollinate Sweden is partly funded by the National Apiculture Program in Sweden.
