Volunteers count bugs for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census

CHARLOTTE — Researchers are looking for bug enthusiasts, nature lovers, and gardeners across the region to help with the Great Southeast Pollinator Census.

It’s a community science project, calling for volunteers across six states, including the Carolinas to count insects across the region. The goal is to better understand what pollinators are active in the region and what plants and habitats they like.

North Carolina State Cooperative Extension is managing the local effort. Samantha DeRosa, the agriculture and local foods extension agent, explained all volunteers need is a census sheet, a garden and a little bit of time.

“We identify a plant that we want to count,” DeRosa said. “We take a 15-minute timer and for 15 minutes focus very closely on that flower and the different pollinators that touch down on it.”

Each individual landing gets counted, so one very active bug might get counted several times, as volunteer Barry Pettinato found.

“I had a bumblebee on a purple harp plant and he was just so active, just collecting pollen like crazy,” he said. “It was hard for me to keep up with him.”

Volunteers also write down the time of day, weather conditions and the species of plant they’re observing.

“The University of Georgia will take this data and apply it to some different environmental models,” DeRosa said.

Pollinator populations are declining around the world due to habitat loss, climate change and other challenges like invasive species.

DeRosa hopes the data collected in the census can help researchers understand where habitats need more protection and what plant species will help these insects thrive.

By inviting the public to take part in the census, volunteers like Pettinato hope it brings more attention to important creatures that often go overlooked.

“If you were just taking a stroll through here and you didn’t really stop, you don’t appreciate how active the pollinators are,” he said.

Across Charlotte, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation is hosting a pollinator garden crawl from 11 to 1 on Saturday.

To participate at home, you can download the census sheet and instructions from the Great Southeast Pollinator Census website.

Due to thunderstorms expected this weekend across the southeast, the census is extended from August 21 to Monday August 24.

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