Great Southeast Pollinator Census

This August 18-19, you can participate in a citizen science project to help collect data on pollinators in the Southeast United States. Anyone can participate and it is designed for easy access.

For the last several years, Georgia has been heading this data collection weekend. This year, we are excited to welcome North Carolina and South Carolina into the count! The data collected from each year is used to provide a snapshot of the pollinator populations around the state. This is an open data resource so researchers, teachers, and community members all have access to the information collected. Previous years’ data has already been used for published research articles!

How to Participate:

1. Find a location with blooming flowers.
   • You will need to know the name of the plant, so if you aren’t sure, reach out to your local Extension Office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1
2. Familiarize yourself with identification of our insect groups
   • Carpenter Bees
   • Bumble Bees
   • Honey Bees
   • Small Bees
   • Wasps
   • Flies
   • Butterflies & Moths
   • Any other insects that don’t fit into these categories, but land on your flower
   • We have an Insect Counting and Identification Booklet available for download to help you in this process!
3. Get in a comfortable position and COUNT every time an insect lands on your flower for 15 minutes
   • Sit in front of your flower(s) for 15 minutes
   • Count the number of insects per each category that lands on your flower at this time
   • Even if it is the same insect you saw earlier, count it each time it lands
4. Upload your data to gsepc.org/count
   • You will have until September 15, 2023 to record the data you collected
   • If you need help entering your data onto the website, reach out to your local Extension Office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1

Learn More:

We have a handy chart made to help you with your data collection! This can be viewed/downloaded here:

Be sure to check out the homepage for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census for educational resources, garden tips, activities to add to your count for more enjoyment, and so much more!