Gardeners, nature enthusiasts, educators, community organizers and others with a drive to help pollinators can join in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census in August.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension is launching the state’s census effort with a webinar at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 15. Register for “Getting Started with the Great Southeast Pollinator Census in NC” through the online form.
Supporter Spotlight
The community science effort to track pollinator visitations across the Southeast is designed so that anyone, regardless of scientific background, can contribute.
Amanda Bratcher, the state’s census coordinator based at the extension office in Lee County, will lead the 90-minute webinar, which will review the 15-minute method for counting pollinators, and how to identify the insect.
A University of Georgia Project, the Great Southeast Pollinator Census was launched in 2022. In that time, more than 1.2 million insects across 66,000 individual counts have been documented in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
A seven-week online course is also being offered Tuesday afternoons from June 16 to July 28. The cost of the course is $50 and the commitment to lead, assist or participate in a Great Southeast Pollinator Census event this year. Registration is open for the few remaining seats for the course.
“Help us capture a snapshot of pollinator activity in communities across North Carolina, including the types of pollinators and which flowers they visit, and help build a southeast-wide data set with other states,” organizers said.
Supporter Spotlight
There are resources for those who want to participate as well as for groups interested in hosting a counting event on the extension’s webpage for the census.
