Great Southeast Pollinator Census

  • Friday, August 23, 2024 – 9:00 am–7:00 pm
  • Saturday, August 24, 2024 – 8:00 am–7:00 pm

North Carolina's pollinators need your help!

bee on a yellow flower

Started by Becky Griffin, MPPPM, from University of Georgia Extension, the Great Southeast Pollinator Census is a citizen science project created to survey the population and diversity of pollinators in the Southeast.

For two days in August, Friday, August 23 and Saturday, August 24, JCRA visitors can spend time in the gardens counting wasps, bees, flies, butterflies and other insects to contribute to comprehensive data of our region's pollinators. Once entered, this data will be displayed on the Great Southeast Pollinator Census Web site and be used by researchers to spot trends within pollinator populations.

When should you come to participate?

Participants can count at any time on August 23 and August 24. The JCRA will be open 9:00 am–7:00 pm on Friday and 8:00 am–7:00 pm on Saturday.

What do participants do exactly?

After picking up a tally sheet from the Visitors Center or the McSwain Education Center, participants will find a plant in the garden with insect activity and count pollinator visits for 15 minutes. You are specifically looking for what types of pollinators (wasps, flies, bees, butterflies, etc.) are visiting the plant you're watching and making a count of how many times a pollinator lands on the plant.

Once the 15 minutes are over, return to the Visitors Center or the McSwain to drop off the tally sheet. Participants can do more than one plant but they need separate tally sheets for each plant.

Other tips for participating
  • Wear a watch or have a timer on your phone to help you track the 15 minutes.
  • Look for signs in the gardens that designate "Hot Spots" where we anticipate there will be high levels of insect activity.
  • Don't worry about if you're counting the same insect. You're counting pollinator visits so if the same insect leaves and comes back, it's okay!
  • Pick a manageable size to watch. You don't have to watch the entire plant! We suggest doing a small hula hoop sized area or imagine you're holding a beach ball with your arms and lay that over the plant as your area to watch.
  • This is a family friendly activity. There will be a special tally sheet for our younger participants. Participants that are second grade or older are welcome to submit an official tally sheet for data collection. Participants first grade and younger will have special tally sheets to complete.
  • Remember, you just need to observe. No need to touch or catch any insects for this activity! Feel free to take pictures and tag us on social media.

Want to learn even more? Watch this information video from the University of Georgia here.

Age
Open to everyone!
Cost
Free.
Registration
No registration is required for this self guided program.
Location
JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, NC 27606.
Directions
Need directions? Click here.
Parking
Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.
Questions
Contact the JCRA Education Team at jcraprograms@ncsu.edu for more information about this program.