Gardeners Are Scientist: Count Lee County Insects in the Census
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Collapse ▲“Pollinators are under threat.” We hear it more and more from scientists and the news. If you haven’t heard, you’ve probably at least noticed that your windshield has stayed a lot cleaner over the last couple of decades. What is important to understand from this is that our survival as humans is linked with insect diversity and survival. How do scientists know insect populations are declining (besides the cleaner windshields)? They count them!
Now, scientists aren’t out there counting each and every one in an ecosystem. That is a Herculean task at least. At any given time there are about 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) insects on Earth at any given time, according to the Entomological Society of America (ESA). More than 60 percent of the total species in the world are insects, with estimates speculating there are between 3-6 million species left to describe! Needless to say, that is a lot, and scientists need all the help they can get!
What is ‘citizen science’?
The concept of ‘citizen science’ has been around for more than a decade and as a tool has ebbed and flowed in popularity in the science community. The US government has been engaging the public since 2009 through the digitization projects at the Smithsonian Institute! Citizen science is the involvement of the public in scientific research, whether community-driven research or global investigations (Citizen Science Association, 2023). Usually scientists set up a project and ask the general public to help collect and/or analyze data. These projects are not limited to just traditional “science” fields, but include humanities and social sciences, as well!
Great Southeast Pollinator Census
The Great Southeast Pollinator Census came to North Carolina in 2023! It is a two-day, event-based citizen science project where participants collect data on August 23 or August 24 (for 2024) using a simple data sheet to observe pollinators on one plant in their community. The observation period is 15 minutes and then the
participant enters the data on the Census website. Super simple! It can be done anywhere where a plant is flowering and pollinators are visiting it! There is a free webinar on Thursday, August 15, 2024, to learn more about how to participate and educate yourself about insects. The Census was originally the Great Georgia Pollinator Census, and was developed by Dr. Becky Griffin at UGA Extension. It now includes Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.
A keen eye makes a good gardener. It also makes a good scientist. Observation is a gardener’s most important tool, because the plants and animals we take care of in our gardens don’t read the books we do about them! It is important to watch how the weather turns, understand how our plants and the animals that interact with them change through the seasons, and know when to cut something here or plant something there. This valuable skill and real knowledge can benefit the greater science community beyond the garden gate by participating in citizen science projects!
Where can folks in Lee County do the Census together?
Folks in Lee County are in for a treat! There are so many places you can do the Census in Lee County! Besides your backyard, garden or woods, you can bring your datasheet and visit one of our local parks. Check out one of our local nurseries to see what is in flower! You can go observe at San-Lee Park’s Pollinator Garden or come to the Extension Office to observe in the Pollinator Haven Garden. The Extension Master Gardener volunteers of Lee County will be on hand at the Pollinator Haven Garden during two windows on August 23, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m., and in the afternoon of August 24, from 2-5 p.m.
We hope you can join us this year by counting insects in this year’s Census. If you have questions about the Census or how you can incorporate the Census into programming with your organization, please contact Amanda Wilkins at N.C. Cooperative Extension- Lee County Center at 919-775-5624 or amanda_wilkins@ncsu.edu.
Amanda Bratcher is the Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Lee County.