The Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County (MGVOCC) is proud to host the 2025 Great Southeast Pollinator Census (GSEPC) on August 22 and 23 at nine of their gardens across Cobb County.
The census, a project of the University of Georgia Extension, was created to help generate an economic valuation for pollination. "In the state of Georgia, the number one economic driver is still agriculture, even in 2025," Becky Griffin, GSEPC project coordinator, explains. "Many of the crops that we're famous for, like watermelon, for example, peaches, apples, strawberries, all require pollinators."
Creating an economic valuation for pollinators helps farmers receive federal grant money, fueling Georgia's crucial agricultural industry.
A Ph.D. agricultural economist named Dr. Sharon Kane put our evaluation for pollination at over $600 million per year," Griffin says. "So that's huge that we have a way to determine that."
The census is free, family-friendly and open to the public. Participants are asked to spend 15 minutes observing and counting pollinators on a chosen plant and submit their findings to support important conservation research.
It is not required to count at MGVOCC's gardens; Participants can count anywhere they choose. Educators are also encouraged to use the census as an educational tool in classrooms and school gardens.
“Our goal is to bring public awareness to the importance of pollinators and pollinator plants in your home landscapes, school gardens, parks and public spaces,” JoAnne Newman, MGVOCC’s Director of Education, says. “People can learn about this through participation in this citizen science project.”
MGVOCC will host an online seminar led by Becky Griffin titled “Great Southeast Pollinator Census: Citizen Science at Work!” on August 12 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visit the University of Georgia Extension's calendar page to register.
Visit https://gsepc.org for more information on how to participate, classroom materials and previous years’ census data, and visit cobbmastergardeners.com to learn more about MGVOCC's mission and programs.
"We truly are protecting pollinators one census count at a time," Becky Griffin.