Buzzing Futures
Youth Advocacy and Communication for Pollinators
Project Years: 2026-2027
What is Buzzing Futures?
Pollinators are in crisis across Europe – yet the science behind their decline is often poorly communicated, and the path to policy change feels out of reach. Buzzing Futures responds to this gap by equipping young people with advocacy tools, systems thinking skills, and creative communication methods to turn knowledge into local action.
Buzzing Futures is a project by Biodiversity Action Europe (BAE) and Pollinator Ambassadors (PA), funded by the European Union through the IUCN Save Our Species Fund for Youth Action on Pollinators. The project brings together 25 young advocates from France, Austria, and across Europe who are ready to take pollinator conservation into their own hands.
Quick Facts
- When: July – October 2026
- Workshop: 3–5 July 2026, Lyon, France
- Exhibition: October 2026, Vienna, Austria & online
- Participants: 25 young people from across Europe
- Costs: Travel, accommodation and food covered
- Language: English
- Partners: Biodiversity Action Europe & Pollinator Ambassadors
- Funded by: European Union through the IUCN Save Our Species Fund for Youth Action on Pollinators
Phase 1: Online Preparation
Two online sessions introduce participants to pollinators, advocacy and systems thinking, setting the ground for the in-person workshop.
Phase 2: Capacity-Building Workshop (Lyon, 3-5 July 2026
A three-day intensive programme where participants meet pollinator experts, engage with local policymakers, and explore the complexity of pollinator decline through systems thinking. They learn to design advocacy strategies with practical tools like SWOT analyses and stakeholder mapping, visit a local pollinator initiative, and create zines – artistic publications that translate science into compelling visual stories. Every participant refines their own local action plan during the workshop.
Phase 3: Implementation & Exhibition
Back home, participants put their plans into action – from wildflower meadows to conversations with local decision-makers. BAE and PA support them through mentoring sessions and an active digital community. In October 2026, the zines and local actions take centre stage in a showcase exhibition in Vienna and online, sparking new dialogues on youth-led pollinator advocacy.
What Participants Get
- All travel, accommodation and food costs covered for the Lyon workshop
- Hands-on training in advocacy, systems thinking and zine-making
- One-on-one mentoring after the workshop
- Support connecting with local stakeholders
- Visibility for their local project through the Vienna exhibition and social media
- A network of 25 young pollinator advocates across Europe
Who Can Apply?
Buzzing Futures is open to young people (18–30) residing in France and Austria with a demonstrated interest in biodiversity, pollinators, or environmental policy. Participants must be available for the Lyon workshop (3–5 July 2026), willing to implement a local action afterwards, and comfortable working in English. No expert knowledge is required – what matters is motivation and a concrete idea for change.
Stay Updated for the Application Deadline!
- Applications open on 12 April and close on 26 April 2026. Stay updated on our social media!