This is a perfect week to make and share your pollinator observations with scientists. Our editors selected five projects in need of your help.
More about pollinators from Penn State’s website:”Pollinators are animals (primarily insect, but sometimes avian or mammalian) that fertilize plants, resulting in the formation of seeds and the fruit surrounding seeds. Humans and other animals rely on pollinators to produce nuts and fruits that are essential components of a healthy diet.”
So, if you have the chance, let’s go help some pollinators this week!
Cheers!
The SciStarter Team
The National Pollinator Garden Network registered more than one million pollinator gardens last year. Now, it’s time to monitor those gardens and help pollinators!
Location: Global
Start your own virtual bumble bee collection by sharing photos of bees near you. Experts will help you identify species. You may just discover something new!
Location: United States
Observe a sunflower for a least five minutes to see which pollinators visit. This will help identify where pollinators are visiting sunflowers and provide information on how a decline in the bee population can affect gardens.
Location: United States
Did you know that bees are out collecting pollen, even in the fall? Taking pictures of bees and the flowers they’re collecting nectar from or pollinating can help researchers better understand bee behavior.
Location: Global
Many species of bees make their homes underground, right beneath our feet! But we don’t know a lot about these particular bees or where they live. Help researchers create a map of where they are as a first step towards studying the germs (pathogens) underground dwelling bees carry.
Location: Global
What kind of water do bees prefer? What kind of water makes for the best honey production? By taking pictures of bees visiting water you can help answer these and other questions about bees, water, and honey.
Location: Global
Discover more citizen science on the SciStarter calendar. Did you know your SciStarter dashboard helps you track your contributions to projects? Complete your profile to access free tools. Want even more citizen science? Check out SciStarter’s Project Finder! With thousands of citizen science projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!
