CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Extension Office hosted a “Pollinator Count Party” the morning of Friday, Aug. 22, as part of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, a three-day project that ran Aug. 22-24, that invited people of all ages to contribute to pollinator research.
“This is a citizen science project similar to the Backyard Bird Count. It gives everyday people a chance to help with pollinator conservation by observing and counting pollinators for just 15 minutes,” said Dr. Kira Sims, Cullman County Extension director.
Participants chose a flowering plant, watched for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, flies or wasps, and recorded their findings using a data sheet. That information was then uploaded to the census website and will be used by scientists to track pollinator activity across the Southeast.
“This is the first year Alabama has been involved, and we’re really excited about that,” Sims said. “It’s a great way for anyone to participate, especially with accessible spaces like the Agriplex demonstration garden.” Sims said she hopes the event will return annually and grow in size as the Agriplex construction wraps up.
The goal was to collect at least one data entry from each Alabama county. “As long as you had a plant and 15 minutes, you could help,” Sims said.
