Knowledge gleaned from the first Great Georgia Pollinator Census

In August 2019, Georgians participated in the Great Georgia Pollinator Census, a community science project seeking to collect baseline population data on Georgia’s insect pollinators and engage residents in entomological research. Community scientists counted insect visitation at flowering plants for 15 minutes on 23-24 August and identified insects into one of eight categories: (1) carpenter bee, Xylocopa sp. (Hymenoptera: Apidae); (2) bumble bee, Bombus sp. (Hymenoptera: Apidae); (3) honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae); (4) small bee (Hymenoptera); (5) wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae); (6) fly (Diptera); (7) butterfly or moth (Lepidoptera); and (8) other insect. Survey protocols and identification criteria were taught using online media and in-person events. This project also assisted Georgians in creating sustainable pollinator habitat and increased participants’ knowledge of insects and insect-mediated ecosystem services. The educational goals of the project were accomplished using a website, newsletters, social media, University of Georgia Extension personnel, and collaboration with project partners. More than 4,500 participants in 135 Georgia counties recorded over 151,000 insect visitation events. Counts were also performed by 134 schools. Chi-square tests of independence indicated differences between pollinator visitation in rural and urban areas. Results also showed an influence of the local presence of honey bee hives on the relative proportion of other pollinators identified by survey counts. The high participation rate in the 2019 Census confirms that there is interest among Georgians in insect pollinators and pollinator conservation. Future Censuses could be improved by collecting demographic data from participants and engaging residents in underrepresented counties.