The Great Georgia Pollinator Census of 2019 on August 23 and 24 will be the first count of pollinators by citizen scientists of all ages from all over the state. The census was designed for individuals, families, garden clubs, school groups, scouts. friends — all Georgians — to participate. 

The University of Georgia Extension Service has developed a very simple way to count all of the pollinators on any blooming plant anywhere in Georgia, your yard, a park, roadsides, fields, forests, etc. for 15 minutes per plant. They have sheets explaining and showing how you can tell the difference between eight categories of pollinating insects: Carpenter bees, Bumblebees, Honey Bees, Small Bees, Wasps, Flies, and Butterflies/Moths, and Other Insects. For example, carpenter bees are big, have broad, hairy heads, and have hairless, dark abdomens; bumblebees have small heads and fuzzy, fat abdomens; wasps have narrow “waists” and long, thin wings; and flies have only two wings, small antenna, and big eyes. 

Each participant counts how many of these insects from each group show up on their plant in 15 minutes, and enters the data on the website ggapc.org. You do not have to know any of the species, only the groups. There is a video at the top of the website showing how to do the count.

The Friends of Lost Creek Forest, who maintain Cherokee Pollinator Garden, adjoining the Rose Garden at Cherokee Lake Park, would like to assist individuals, families, groups, and classes in counting pollinators at the garden. There will be activities for all ages at the garden on Saturday, August 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dr. Jeremy Green, who teaches Forestry and Wildlife Management at Southern Regional Technical College, Kathryn Green, librarian at Brookwood School, and Elizabeth Harrell, who teaches biology and Global Information Systems at Thomas University, Beth Grant, founder and president of Friends of Lost Creek Forest and lead volunteer at the garden, and other volunteers will be there to assist visitors. Dr. Green can also assist visitors in learning iNaturalist, a phone app that helps anyone identify most anything in nature.

Grant is available to help on other hours Friday and Saturday. Contact her at bethgrant@bellsouth.net for an appointment. Teachers are strongly encouraged to involve their students at school or elsewhere. Activities can include math, science, writing, etc. There are many ideas on the Facebook page, Georgia Pollinator Census.

Participants can already post photos on the Facebook page and by entering them #GAPollinators

The Cherokee Pollinator Garden features native plants: nectar plants that feed adult pollinators, and larval host plants, that feed the butterfly caterpillars. Visitors will see (and count) adult pollinators of all kinds and possibly see butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalises. Some plants potted from the garden will be available for sale so visitors can add to or start their own butterfly garden.  

For more information on the garden go to facebook.com/CherokeeLakePollinatorGarden/ or cherokeelakepollinatorgarden.weebly.com