NC Participates in Great Southeast Pollinator Census

SANFORD, N.C. — North Carolina citizen scientists are gearing up for the second year of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for Friday, August 23, and Saturday, August 24, to get out in your backyard, garden, local park or hiking train to complete the Census. Wherever someone can sit and watch a plant for 15 minutes, they can gather data for the Census!

The Census has a three-fold mission: To create sustainable pollinator habitat by educating gardeners about using plants that provide nutrition for our pollinators while handling our summer droughts and do not have disease or pest insect pressure; to increase the entomological literacy (knowledge about insects!) of our citizens; and to generate useful data about our pollinator populations, so we can begin to spot trends.

The goal is to have participation from across North Carolina in many different sectors, from schools to governments to businesses, to give a broad picture of what pollinators are present everywhere we can observe them as humans. Unlike iNaturalist, Bumble Bee Watch or Monarch Watch, this is a one-time contribution type program where citizen scientists of all ages and skill levels can observe pollinators once (or as many times as they want!) during a two-day sampling period. This narrow, structured window allows scientists to see a concentrated snapshot in time across a wide geographic area.

There are so many ways to participate in the Census that can meet the needs of the communities across the state. Many Extension Master Gardener volunteer groups and County Extension Offices across the state are coordinating local events. You can contact your local office to see if they are hosting an event in your community here: https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/local-county-center/.

There are also ways for teachers to adapt the Census into their classroom lessons across many different subjects, from writing to math to science. The Census website has free activities ready to go! The data sheets are in English and Spanish, as well.

This program is for everyone, from homeowners to students to governments to businesses, and the goal is to get a snapshot of what pollinators are present across the state of North Carolina and the southeast on the same days! The Census was started by Dr. Becky Griffin at UGA Extension in 2019. it has expanded across Georgia, into South Carolina and North Carolina; and Florida will be participating in 2024.

The free Knowledge is Pollinator Power Webinar is back and registration is open. This statewide webinar, part education session and part pep rally, is a great time to learn something new about pollinators, get updates from scientists and researchers, and get inspired to go out there and do the Census! Speakers and topics include: Drs. Elsa Youngsteadt and Hannah Levenson, researchers from NC State will talk about the results of the NC State Pollinator Stem Study and how you can help overwintering pollinators; Ezra Bailey, NC State Masters student in Entomology will be presenting about flies as pollinators; and Maegan Luckett, horticulturist at Duke Gardens, will be speaking about her work on Prairie Gardens. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required: https://go.ncsu.edu/gsepcinncaugust2024!

Amanda (Wilkins) Bratcher, Horticulture Agent, NC Cooperative Extension- Lee County Center and NC team member for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census

Main Census website: https://gsepc.org/. This is where you can find the 2024 Census datasheet!

NC-Specific Website for the Census (including past webinars, press, etc.): https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/gsepcinnc/

—Amanda Bratcher, N.C. State Extension