Mary Parker taking part in annual pollinator census

The Great Georgia Pollinator Census is a citizen science project created by the University of Georgia. The project is designed for people to participate and make a difference for pollinator conservation.  The event was held this past Friday and Saturday across the state and the Friends of Sloppy Floyd State Park in Summerville took part.

Volunteers who participate in the event receive a sheet to fill out and observe insects like carpenter bees, bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies and moths.  The volunteers will observe a plant for fifteen minutes to see how many beneficial pollinators visit the plant.  Then, scientists take that information and it helps them monitor how many pollinators are in the area.  With that data, they are able to track pollinators’ population growth and decline and then allocate resources to help crops and plants thrive.

The pollinator garden which was built and is maintained by the Friends of Sloppy Floyd State Park is a perfect place to take place in this UGA Extension conservation project and have been taking part in the annual count since its inception.