Join Great Pollinator Census

Published 10:15 am Thursday, August 22, 2024

On Friday morning, August 23rd third, fourth, and fifth graders at Hollis  Hand Elementary School will participate in the sixth annual Great  Southeast Pollinator Census (https://GSePC.org).

This citizen science project takes place annually across the states of  Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida.

Participants of all  ages identify and count pollinators (insects that transfer pollen from flower  to flower) and report the data back to the University of Georgia. At Hollis  Hand, students will perform the census in their beautiful pollinator garden on the school grounds.

A partnership between UGA Extension Troup County and the Hollis Hand  PTO brought this fun and educational event to fruition. Troup High FFA and  LaGrange High FFA students also contributed greatly by helping construct  the Pollinator Garden in Spring 2023. Hollis Hand elementary students then  planted the newly constructed garden with a variety of pollinator species  under the direction of Troup County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers (MGEV).

Troup County 4-H Staff and MGEVs taught three horticulture-based  lessons to youth in Spring 2023 in anticipation of the 2023 Census.

Laura  Mirarchi, 4-H Agent, states, “By correlating these lessons to the Georgia  Standards of Excellence, we are able to provide agriculture-based  instruction to students in an outdoor teaching setting, while also providing  them the opportunity to observe living animals interacting in a natural  environment,”
This year over 220 students will participate at Hollis Hand Elementary, with  students incorporating the knowledge they’ve gained of agricultural systems, data collection, and the interaction between pollinators and their  environment.

Maryanne Lovejoy, School Garden Coordinator, shares, “It has been a  pleasure to work with the UGA Extension office, Master Gardeners, and 4- H staff in Troup County to design and create this pollinator garden for our  students at Hollis Hand Elementary. We are thrilled to participate in the
2024 Great Southeast Pollinator Census as we continue to expand our  students’ knowledge of the intricate ecosystem, we all call ‘home.’”

Participants are asked to count the insects that land on a favorite pollinator  plant for 15 minutes. Each pair of students will be assigned a “favorite”  pollinator plant, which is a species that shows an abundance of insect activity. Students then count and place the insects they find into one of  eight categories, while also recording other data, including the weather.  Hollis Hand is full of scientists in the making with activities such as this!

The goals of the project are to gather data on pollinator insect population,  to create sustainable pollinator habitat, to engage students in experiential  learning, and to increase entomological literacy around these insects.

“The Master Gardeners are thrilled to collaborate with 3rd-5th graders at  Hollis Hand Elementary this year for the Pollinator Census, bridging the  worlds of agriculture and education to inspire a love for nature and a  deeper appreciation for the vital role agriculture plays within our  community,” said Harriet Wigley, Troup County Master Gardener  Extension Volunteer.