The 2nd Annual Great Georgia Pollinator Census happens this Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22, and YOU can be a part of it. Participating is fun and easy, and only takes 15 minutes. Simply pick a pollinator plant, observe it for 15 minutes, and count the number of pollinating insects which visit it, recording your observations on a counting sheet (downloadable sheets are available here). When you’re finished, upload your data to the GGAPC website.
Don’t worry if you can’t tell a honey bee from a bumble bee! GGAPC’s available Insect Counting and Identification Guide gives detailed instructions on counting and photo examples for classification, which is helpful, since there are more than 500 bee species in Georgia. Your insect observations get categorized into one of eight categories:
- Bumble bees
- Carpenter bees
- Small bees
- Honey bees
- Wasps
- Flies
- Butterflies and moths
- Other insects
Still not sure how to count? Here’s a link to quick video primer on how the Great Georgia Pollinator Census works: https://vimeo.com/444310448
Last year, during the inaugural count, some 4,500 participants documented more than 131,000 insect sightings, and more than 100 events related to the project took place around the state. This year’s count may look a bit different with social distancing recommendations in place, but organizers are encouraging participants to plan on counting pollinators at home, whether solo or with their families.
The event is the brainchild of the UGA Extension Service. The data you collect will provide pollinator researchers at UGA with vital information that will help them better understand pollinator populations around our state.
