Wild insects play a crucial role in pollinating crops, forests and gardens across Australia. Many people would recognise European honeybees as pollinators, but there are also thousands of pollinator species of native insects including native bees! The Wild Pollinator Count gives everyone the opportunity to contribute to a national database helping scientists understand pollinator species behaviour.
RiverConnect Project Officer Meg Pethybridge said, “The last Pollinator Count was held during lock-down in April and was the most successful ever, with 1959 counts submitted across Australia. Residents are spending more time surrounded by nature this year and have the perfect opportunity to take their children outside to learn about insects.”
“It’s really easy to do, you only need 10 minutes on a warm sunny day and a flower to observe, plus access to the website to submit your count.”
Residents will join pollinator enthusiasts across Australia in counting local insects in 10 minute blocks over eight days. There’s no limit on time of day or frequency of counts, but please record your observations at www.wildpollinatorcount.com
The Wild Pollinator Count website has resources to help you identify insects and a printable tally sheet to assist with your observations.
Join one of Australia’s most important citizen science projects at www.wildpollinatorcount.com or join the conversation with #OzPollinators.
