UGA Extension Invites People to Take Part in The Great Georgia Pollinator Census this Weekend
This weekend Georgians across the state will be making a difference in pollinator conservation by participating in the third annual Great Georgia Pollinator Census, and you can be part of it.
If you enjoy watching the butterflies and bees attracted to the flowers in your yard, you are invited to take 15 minutes out of your day today or Saturday to participate in the census.
This is a great and fun way for parents to engage children in learning about the important role pollinators play in our ecosystem.
Pollinators are bees, butterflies, and other insects that transfer pollen from one flower to another.
Coordinated by the University of Georgia Extension Service, Becky Griffin is the Project Coordinator for the two-day event that begins today.
Griffin says the census helps UGA’s Extension Service track pollinator populations.
Another reason for the census she said is to just bring awareness of the importance of our bees and butterflies not only to flowers but to the fruits and vegetables we grow and depend on for food.
It’s easy to take part in the pollinator census and Griffin said you can do it from your own backyard.
“Just grab a lawn chair and a glass of sweet tea, have your list of pollinators from our website, or just a piece of paper to write on and focus on one plant that attracts pollinators. Then set your watch or timer for 15 minutes and record how many pollinators you see come to that plant in that timeframe,” she said.
The insects are put into these categories on the counting sheet:
Carpenter bees
Bumble bees
Honey bees
Small bees
Wasps
Flies
Butterflies/moths
Other insects
The Pollinator Census counting sheet also includes pictures of what the insects look like, and that sheet can be downloaded from the UGA website at https://ggapc.org/.
When you’re done counting, you can go back to that same website and upload your counts.
You can also print out a certificate of participation to hang on your wall.