Great Georgia Pollinator Census set for August 19, 20
From Special Reports
On August 19 and 20, Georgians across the state will come together to count pollinators as part of the fourth annual Great Georgia Pollinator Census (https://GGaPC.org) community science project.
In the past three years, more than 15,000 counts were submitted and over 300,000 insects were counted!
The Coweta County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers will host a local count this year on Saturday, August 20. Participants should arrive at the Coweta County Cooperative Extension office, located at 255 Pine Road in Newnan, between Noon and 2 p.m. (park behind the Extension office) to count pollinators on a favorite pollinator plant.
This is a fun activity for the whole family and a chance to learn more about insect pollinators in your gardens. No experience is needed, and it only takes 15 minutes of your time. Master Gardeners will be on site to provide an “Insect Counting and Identification Guide” and will enter the data collected. Beehive boxes will also be on display.
The goals of the project are to gather data on our pollinator insect population, to create pollinator habitat, and to increase entomological literacy around these insects. The project is housed on the website https://GGaPC.org and all information on the census is found there. The Insect Counting and Identification Guide gives detailed instructions on counting. Interested citizens can sign up for a monthly newsletter full of information on pollinator gardening and insect identification.
This project is perfect for schools doing STEM work. Educational pieces are posted on the Georgia Pollinator Census Facebook page and are available for teachers to copy for later use in the classroom. An educator page including lesson plan links is also attached to the website.
The project is a natural fit for families who want to participate in insect conservation. The website and the Georgia Pollinator Census Facebook page are continually updated with information and fun family activity ideas. There is also information for businesses who want to get involved either by having their employees participate as a company outreach or by having events at their office location for their customers to join in the count.
Won’t you join us this year? We are protecting Georgia pollinators one count at a time! For more information about the Pollinator Census, visit https://GGaPC.org, or join in the count at the Coweta County Cooperative Extension office by calling 770-254-2620 or email [email protected].
