See the "2026 Kick-Off: Getting Started with the Great Southeast Pollinator Census in NC" webinar here

The great thing about the Great Southeast Pollinator Census is that it can be done on your own or you can choose to host an event around the Census!

The Census can be an excellent way to raise awareness about your group or organization's mission, resources, capabilities, and educate and galvanize the community around pollinators.

Let Us Know If You Are Hosting!

Let us know if you're hosting an Event, so we can keep in touch and celebrate your pollinator successes!

• Please use hashtags: #gsepcinnc #ncpollinators #southeastpollinatorcensus #sharethebuzz
• Need some quick and easy resources for your Census event? Check out our Pollinator Outreach Kit item list.
• Here are some marketing materials for you to use

Top Tips for Hosting an Event Around the Census

There is no "right way" to host a Census event, because ultimately it should simply involve folks counting for the Census at your site. But you can do SO much more. Here are some top tips to prepare your volunteers and participants to get even more engaged and invested.

• Practice using the Census counting sheet before the day-of! Make sure all event volunteers have done this so they can help people!
• Have defined “start times” for the public to learn how to do the Census count during your event, especially if you are going to be on-site for long windows of time
• Pre-mark some plants in the area with signage to help people identify plants to count on, as some folks may not even know where to start
• Use simplified count sheets and pollinator bingo cards for younger participants during your event
• Have a drawing, raffle, etc. or offer a discount to encourage participation
• Have shade, water, refreshments, restrooms ready for volunteers and participants
• Make to there is “the next thing” ready to keep them engaged (e.g. classes, 4-H club, workshop, EMG recruitment, resources, etc.)

Here is some audience-specific guidance for hosting a Census Event, based on your community focus

Other Information You Will Need to Gather and Provide When Submitting Data

Please read through this list ahead of time, so you can be prepared to help your participants enter their data. Check out the marketing resource folder for an easy-print flyer with a QR code for folks to scan after they count.

• Number of Counters- This is when people are working as a team to count the same plant at the same time!
• State where you are counting- You can count on vacation! If you are in NC, SC, GA, FL, AL or MS!
• County of garden- OR location you are counting from, because it doesn’t have to be a garden!
• Street address of garden- or as close as you can get. We do not share this information!
• City
• Zip Code Where Garden (or counting site) is Located
• How large is your garden?- Three values given (small, medium and large with specific areas)
• If you are counting as part of a school, an event or with a group please list the name or location of the event?– Make sure to confirm this with the event coordinator! It is best for the data for this to be uniform
• Common name of pollinator plant used for counting- Common names are not reliable!
• Scientific name of pollinator plant used for counting (if known)- This is BEST!!! This will help us match pollinator preferences later in the data analysis process! When you are hosting an event, scout out the plants that are flowering and mark them for your participants.
• Totals of each insect group from your data sheet
• Are there honey bee hives within 5 miles of your garden?- You can use BeeCheck ahead of time to let your participants know if this is true!
• Did you create or add to a pollinator garden in preparation for this census? –Only say “yes” if this is for the calendar year. If you count multiple times in the new garden only say “yes” once!
• If you are an educator did you include the census as part of a STEM/STEAM program? – This can be any type of educator, whether you are a K12, Extension or environmental educator!
• Did participating in the census change your understanding of the benefits provided by insects that visit your garden?
• Please give us one fantastic fact that you learned by participating in the census!
• Please give us any suggestions on how we could improve the census!