The Great Sunflower Project--Join the Hunt for Bees

The Great Sunflower Project was started in 2008 (San Francisco State University) as a way to track bee/ wild bee populations in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the U.S. and Canada and  plant pollination.  The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that in 2009, the second year of the project, 55,000 people participated. In 2010 the number is up to 80,000.
(Map of 2010 activity.)

Regular gardeners were asked to become scientists and observe the bee populations in their own garden.  The project asks the gardener to plant a main observation plant, the annual Lemon Queen sunflower seeds (available at local shops or online).  The project added other bee attracting flowers to the mix and seeds for those plants are available online as well*.

Throughout the summer, the gardener/scientist then observes the number of bees come to a specific sunflower in a 15 minute time span.  This data is posted by the gardener online at the Great Sunflower Project site.

Based on the findings of the study to date, if you see 0-1 bees in 15 minutes you have a poor polinator service in your area, 2-3 bees is moderate, and 4 or more is good.

Join the project by planting the sunflowers and registering with the Great Sunflower Project.
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*Additional flowers in the study: Bee balm, Cosmos, Rosemary, Tickseed, and Purple coneflower

The Great Sunflower Project for Bees

As a barefoot girl growing up in Ohio in the 1960s, I had more than my fair shares of painful encounters with bees. In a Pavlovian way, I saw the stimulus (BEE) and had a definite response (FLEE).

So why now, am I searching for bee friendly flowers and plants which will actually encourage bees to come to my garden? Well, with shoes on my feet, I know that bees are an important partner in my garden playing the role of chief pollinator. As they search for pollen for the needs of their bee society, they effectively and efficiently pollinate crops and plants providing food for man and beast. Bees are the primary pollinators of seed and fruit. True, my little plot of land is small but can be a friendly oasis to bees and other pollinators since I eschew pesticides and try to maintain an organic garden.

With this in mind, I'm ready to participate in the Great Sunflower Project. Run by San Francisco State University Associate Professor Gretchen LeBuhn, this project is requesting citizen scientists coast-to-coast participate in a bee pollination study. With the recent focus on colony collapse disorder, this data will provide the scientists with data needed to help restore bees.

As a volunteer “citizen scientist,” in this project, you participate by

1. Sign up and plant your sunflower (seeds provided when you register)
2. Describe your garden
3. Time how long it takes 5 bees to visit your sunflower plant
4. Enter your data online or send your form.

We all remember the headlines from last year warning us of the disappearing bees. I’m hoping my participation helps.

Reference