From the buzzing of bees to the beautiful wings of a butterfly, pollinators naturally catch our eye throughout the day. In reality, they are much more than just intriguing to look at, they are essential for our food production. According to pollinator.org, “Animal pollinators are vital for 75% to 95% of all flowering plants and about 35% of global food crop production. They are responsible for 1 out of 3 bites of food we take!” Our pollinators today face habitat loss which declines breeding, new pests and diseases, pesticides, climate change, and less overall food! This alone is why not only do we need YOU, as the homeowner to elevate your landscape with pollinator plants, but we also need you to participate in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census! An opportunity for you to become a scientist in your own backyard to help gauge the health of our pollinator population.
The Great Southeast Pollinator Census officially launched in 2019 by the University of Georgia and has expanded to South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, and now Mississippi. The goal of the program is simple (pulled from gsepc.org/about)
“1. To create sustainable pollinator habitat by educating gardeners about using plants that provide nutrition for our pollinators while handling our summer droughts and do not have disease or pest insect pressure.
2. To increase the entomological literacy of our citizens. As I mentioned to one teacher, we want students to go from “oooo, it’s a bug” to “look at the tarsal claw on that bee!”
3. To generate useful data about our pollinator populations, so we can begin to spot trends and see how pollinator populations are affected by weather and how honey bees influence native bee populations.”
Now that you’re intrigued, let’s get you set up! Participating in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census is easy! You’ll need minimal supplies and only 15 minutes, although you can participate more than once throughout those two days. We suggest a sturdy chair, timer/watch/phone, Pollinator Census Counting Sheet, Clipboard or surface to write on, writing utensil, and of course a pollinator plant.
Insect Identification, Categories You’ll Recognize
When selecting a plant, you’ll want to look for open blooms with pollen to ensure that insects will be willing to land on that particular plant. Every time an insect LANDS on the plant you are watching during those 15 minutes you will mark it under the category of the insect. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an entomologist or even know what one is to participate. The pollinator categories are easily identified, Bumble bees, Carpenter Bees, Honey Bees, Small Bees, Wasps, Flies, Butterflies/Moths, and Other Insects.
When it comes to identifying insects, one of the toughest to differentiate are Bumble Bees and Carpenter Bees. We tend to call every large bee a Bumble Bee (probably because they are so cute!) but there is one major difference that will help you! The Carpenter Bees have a shiny hiney, aka their “butts” have NO hair on them and are very glossy. The Bumble Bee have fuzzy “butts” so you won’t find that glossy feature on their rear end! Below you’ll find the Great Southeast Pollinator Counting Guide from 2024. It holds great information on how to identify insects so you feel prepared!
What Seven Years of Counting Can Tell Us and Why We Need YOU!
One person watching one flower for 15 minutes may not seem like enough to make a difference. But put thousands of people together, year after year, and those 15 minutes add up to something remarkable.
In 2019, the Great Southeast Pollinator Census began with 4,698 counters in Georgia, who recorded 131,844 insects. By 2025, the Census had expanded across five states, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama, and 27,048 people participated. Together, they counted 500,402 insects in a single Census. That’s more than half a million observations made possible by ordinary people willing to spend as little as 15 minutes to watch, count, and contribute.
What Can We Learn From The Results?
Butterflies and moths were the most frequently recorded group in 2025, with 128,248 observations—more than one-quarter of all insects counted. Bumble bees came next at 75,118, followed by small bees at 60,816. But some of the most interesting information comes from comparing one year with another. From 2024 to 2025, for example, fly observations increased by nearly 56%, while honey bee observations increased by about 39%. Meanwhile, Carpenter Bee observations remained nearly unchanged. Does that mean there were suddenly 56% more flies flying around the Southeast?
Not necessarily, and that’s exactly why the Census needs us to keep counting.
The number of participants changes from year to year. The Census has expanded into new states. Weather conditions vary. Where people count varies. All of those things can influence the numbers. A single year’s count gives us a snapshot. Years of consistent observations give us a story. And the longer that story becomes, and the more people who contribute to it, the more useful the data can become for understanding which pollinators we’re seeing, where we’re seeing them, and how those patterns may be changing over time.
Your 15 Minutes Becomes Part of Something Much Bigger
I was introduced to the Great Southeast Pollinator Census in March of 2024 thanks to Florida’s Census Coordinator (and a dear college friend of mine) Jeremy Rhoden from Marion County UF/IFAS Extension. He enthusiastically shared his passion for pollinators through his social media platform and about a program called The Pollinator Ambassador Program. It was an incredible program in which I become certified as a Pollinator Ambassador, to help the program grow, and of course help our pollinator population through education and advocacy. Although my favorite class in college was Entomology, the Census allows for the science of Entomology to be accessible to all. That’s what I love about this program. Families can come together and engage with insects with very little background knowledge.
All you simply need is a place where insects are visiting flowers, 15 minutes to observe them, and a willingness to count. Once you’re done you’ll upload them on their website. In 2025, more than 27,000 people did exactly that. This year, you can be one of them. Because your individual count may feel small—but when thousands of those counts come together, they create something no one person could create alone.
So gather your supplies, download your count sheet, and lock in 15 minutes on your calendar for either August 21st or 22nd (or both!) to make your impact on the Great Southeast Pollinator Census.
The Veranda View 