Great Georgia Pollinator Census At Native Plant Botanical Garden

DECATUR, Ga.—Bees, butterflies and dragonflies, oh my! Georgia State’s Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden will be a site for the Great Georgia Pollinator Census on Saturday, Aug. 20 from 10 a.m.to noon.

Volunteers are needed to help count the number of pollinators on plants in the garden and will be given identifier cards to help identify the different types of species that alight on the flowers and plants, said Jewels Morgan, garden director.

“Participants will stand by a plant for about 15 minutes at a time and log the different types of pollinators that alight on the plants,” Morgan said. Their counts will be turned in and uploaded into a state database. The event is free and will include refreshments.

The Native Plant Botanical Garden is on the Decatur campus of Georgia State University’s Perimeter College. The garden is situated in a flood plain near a tributary of the South River creek. There are two main garden areas – the Native Plant Botanical Garden and Ferns of the World. The Native Plant Garden features several areas including shade and sun perennials and shrubs, and a bog garden. The Ferns of the World is tucked back into the shade garden and features the most extensive collection of fern species in the United States.

Many trails wind through the shade gardens. The garden contains more than 4,000 species of native, rare, and endangered plants indigenous to the Southeast and United States. Hibiscus, swamp rose mallow, goldenrod and coreopsis are currently in bloom in the garden.

This is the fourth year of the pollinator count in Georgia, but the first time the garden has been a part of the count through the Georgia Native Plant Society, Intown Chapter, said Morgan. The garden is certified by the Georgia Native Plant Society.

“Pollinator counts are an important way to gauge the local ecosystem to see what’s there and what isn’t. When one pollinator is missing it can cause trouble down the chain. This helps us understand the bigger picture of the health of the ecosystem,” she said.

Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

“This is a great project for students of all ages to come out, have fun, and help us learn more about the health of our environment.”

There also be a native plant sale during the event.

The Great Georgia Pollinator Count is sponsored by the University of Georgia Extension Service.

The event will take place rain or shine. For information, contact Morgan at [email protected]