Learning Intention Lesson 10:

We are learning how to collect scientific data to support geography.

Success Criteria:

We can collect primary data and participate in the Wild Pollinator Count.

How to count the pollinators

Ever wondered what pollinators visit your favourite flowers?

Take 10 minutes to watch flowers in your garden or local park and take note of what you see! Then enter what you’ve seen into our database.

The spring 2021 count will run from the 14th to the 21st of November 2021.

1. During the observation week, choose any day that is sunny, warm and calm. These weather conditions are important, as many insects don’t like flying when it’s cold, raining or very windy. If there is a shower of rain, wait at least an hour and for the sun to come out before doing your observation. Some pollinators don’t fly in strong winds, so make sure it is calm or only lightly breezy when you perform your observation.

2. Find a flowering plant or tree in your garden, or in a local park. Choose a single large flower, or a group of smaller flowers within your visible range .

3. Watch the flowers continuously for 10 minutes. Record any insect that visits the flowers and moves around on the stamens or pistil (the flower’s reproductive parts). Don’t record anything that just flies past without touching the flower. If you can, try not to count the same individual insect twice.

4. Enter your observations on the Submit Observations page.

5. Please make sure to enter exact numbers in each box on the submission form. If you didn’t see any pollinators at all, you can still submit your observations as ‘0’ – these observations are just as helpful!

Note: Photos are not necessary to submit an observation, but you can email us some if you choose. If you have photographs of insects visiting flowers outside our count periods, you may like to add them to our iNaturalist project.