Georgia Magazine - September 2021 - 18

Continued from page 17
Diane Parr is one of those teachers who avidly
supports the census. A STEM teacher at Colham
Ferry Elementary School in Oconee County, she says
the census is a perfect way to get kids connected with
what is going on in the world.
" The exciting part is the awareness they have
that they are a part of [something] connected with
the University of Georgia that takes place all over
Georgia, " Parr says. " It helps them gain ownership of
that, and when they claim ownership they want to
work for solutions.
" We talk about what is going on with pollinators
... These pollinators are declining. Well, why? They
can usually come up with some pretty good solutions. "
One
STEM project was to create a mechanism
for pollinating plants by hand after studying the different
ways a bee carries pollen from plant to plant.
" The census opens up this whole great big door
[to a subject] that we can talk about from kindergarten
all the way through elementary school, " Parr
says. " It sounds really deep, and sometimes people
think, 'Ohhh, they're just little kids; what can they
learn about this?' But they get it! And it helps them to
understand their place here on Earth and how we are
all connected.
" We're planting the seed that what you do does
have an effect. And everything here has a reason for
being here. It's got a niche, and it's got something
that it is useful for. "
As evidence that the census helps Georgia children-and
their parents!- " get it " about pollinators,
525 new pollinator gardens were created statewide as
a result of last year's census.
" That's a number that really makes me happy, "
Griffin says. " These are gardens that people are
putting in thoughtfully with education about
sustainability.
" By making this an annual event in our schools
and our communities, I think we are raising a whole
group of kids who will graduate school knowing how
important these insects are. "
Tom Oder is a freelance writer who lives in
Atlanta.
For more information
This year's Great Georgia Pollinator Census took
place Aug. 20-21, after the September issue of Georgia
Magazine went to press. Results from the 2019, 2020 and
2021 censuses are expected to be posted this fall on the
census website at ggapc.org.
The annual event is held every August, and
you don't have to be an entomologist to participate!
Everyone is welcome. For information about how to
join in the fun, contact your local Extension office, visit
the census website or reach out to Becky Griffin at
beckygri@uga.edu.
18 Georgia Magazine September 2021
82,000-plus insects in eight categories
Here's a breakdown by category of what Georgians found foraging in their
yards during the Great Georgia Pollinator Census last year on Aug. 21-22.
Bumblebees (9,198)
This is a common and easily recognizable fat bee with a small head whose
body is covered with yellow and black hair. It has a large thorax (the middle
segment behind the head and before the abdomen) and a hairy abdomen.
Carpenter bees (4,578)
At first glance, a carpenter bee looks like a bumblebee
because it has yellow and black bands and dense hair on its thorax.
However, there are several big differences. One of those, for people
willing to take a close look (don't worry; it won't sting you!), is that
the carpenter bee has a hairless, shiny abdomen-or what census
coordinator Becky Griffin calls a " shiny heinie. " But the easiest way to tell
carpenter bees from bumblebees is that carpenter bees are much larger than
bumblebees. Think Mack truck vs. a pickup!
Honeybees (5,086)
Many people think of this type of bee as our main pollinator.
It is easily distinguished from bumblebees and carpenter bees
because it has brown or black stripes on its body and golden-brown
hair that covers its abdomen. Here's a fun fact that might surprise
many: Honeybees are not native to the United States.
Small bees (10,604)
For census purposes, this category includes all bees smaller than a honeybee.
There are more than 4,000 native bees in the United States, of which more than
500 are in Georgia. Many are brightly colored and in some cases may look more
like flies or other insects than bees. For the 2020 census, counters were asked to
look especially for sweat bees in the family Halictidae, which have a metallic green
body that reflects sunlight.
Wasps (8,139)
This large group includes potter wasps, paper wasps and
yellow jackets. " These beautiful insects are not only pollinators but
[also] predators that can help us control our pest insect populations, "
Griffin says.
Flies (11,893)
" It's really super fun to teach people the difference between a fly and a bee, "
Griffin says. Flies that are bee mimics, she explains, have colors like bees and visit
flowers. The way to tell the difference between a fly and a bee, she adds, is that
flies have large eyes and small antennae. " Once [they] can distinguish between the
two, people call me, saying: 'All right, I'm out in my garden, and I can't believe this
is a fly. I thought it was a bee. This is really cool!' "
Butterflies (18,852)
This can be an iffy category because of the unpredictability
of August weather. Griffin says some of the factors that determine
whether counters will see butterflies include: " Is it going to be
too dry? Will we have any nectar resources? Have they started
migrating or not? You just don't know, " she says.
Other insects (14,249)
This is a catchall, fun category for insects that don't fit easily into the other
seven categories. It includes insects such as lacewings, beetles and dragonflies.
It's one Griffin enjoys because, she says, " I will get pictures with a note that says:
'OK, we're seeing this. What is it?' And then I'll get to explain a little bit about
what an ambush bug is and how it works in the ecosystem of your garden. "
PHOTOS COURTESY GREAT GEORGIA POLLINATOR CENSUS
http://www.ggapc.org
Georgia Magazine - September 2021

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