What’s all the buzz about pollen? It’s time for the pollinator census 

What do apples, tomatoes, blueberries, chocolate and cashews have in common? All of my personal favorites are possible thanks to animal pollinators! In fact, pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. Even some medicines and fibers for clothing come to us from plants that were pollinated by insects. Our world would be a totally different place without them!

A pollinator is defined as any creature that transfers pollen from one flower to another, allowing the plant to become fertilized and produce fruit, seeds and young plants. Butterflies and honeybees tend to get the most press as insect pollinators, perhaps due to declining populations, but these species are only the beginning. 

There are 542 species of bees alone currently listed in Georgia! Other pollinators include flies, wasps, beetles and moths. Even some birds, such as hummingbirds, and small mammals can serve as pollinators.

The first statewide Great Georgia Pollinator Census was launched in August 2019. Since then, four other states have joined this annual project, now called the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. Inspiring students and adults to learn about pollinating insects and raising public awareness of their importance was the driving force behind the development of this University of Georgia citizen science project.

It has two important goals. The first is to generate useful data about pollinator populations, which is being fulfilled as information generated by previous counts is already showing up in
peer-reviewed journals. 

A further aim is to create sustainable pollinator habitats. Although the actual pollinator census takes place over a two-day period in August, this project is a year-long educational venture for the public to understand the critical value of beneficial insects and to plant and manage gardens that support them.

So, what is citizen science and how can you get involved? Simply put, citizen science is the practice of conducting scientific work by the public. You — both adults and children — can be involved in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census next week on Aug. 22 and/or 23. Count insect visits to a favorite pollinator plant in your backyard for 15 minutes and upload your data. You may prefer to join with others in a public pollinator count at the Gardens at the Brookdale Resource Center (3600 Brookdale Ave.). Drop by the garden between 9-11 a.m. on Friday or Saturday. An increasing number of schools plan to participate in this year’s census.

Educational and project resources are available at gsepc.org, the website for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. Download an Insect Counting and Identification Guide and a counting sheet. Data can also be uploaded to this website. If you are an educator, there are lesson plans and activities you may want to use in your classroom. We hope you and your family will get involved in this fun and useful citizen science activity!

We hope that you will be able to take the time to participate in the 2025 Great Southeast Pollinator Census. 

In the meantime, If you have any gardening or landscape questions, contact us at 478-310-5350 or email us at bibb.extension@uga.edu.