Last Friday we posted some general information about the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, which the Cobb Master Gardener Volunteers are coordinating locally at a number of locations in the county Aug. 22-23.
Among those venues is McFarlane Nature Park (280 Farm Road, off Paper Mill Road) in East Cobb, a private passive park that’s operated by The Cobb Land Trust and that features a wide variety of plants and nature trails and offers programs about nature conservation to the public.
We’ve heard from Karin Guzy, Chair of The Cobb Land Trust, who tells us that signs have gone up at McFarlane to let visitors know about the census, which according to the Cobb Master Gardeners, will “document the insects that keep our gardens blooming and our food supply secure.”
Guzy says the signs at McFarlane:
” . . . are part of a summer-long program to educate visitors about the eco-services provided by bugs who support and sustain us. More than just pollinating our food supplies, insects break down waste, feed birds and other animals, aerate the soil and release nutrients from decaying plants. We literally cannot live without them. Even mosquitoes are packed with protein and provide a food source for birds, other insects, bats, amphibians and reptiles.
“In 2021, McFarlane volunteers built a small meadow to attract more insects to the property and enhance the environment for the birds. Over 350 plants were installed and hundreds of seeds were added—all native to this geographic area.
“The meadow has progressed with some plants showing up from seed this year, four years after being planted. Bluebirds and Purple Martins have adopted the Meadow and a wide variety of insects have appeared to make it their home.
“The ongoing effort is intended to aid in slowing the shocking decline of insect populations by enlisting homeowners in making them welcome.”
The Cobb Master Gardener volunteers will be at McFarlane on Aug. 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to do the counting and help those who participate.
“The Census invites participants to spend 15 minutes recording the pollinators that they see in a small area they have chosen.” Guzy tells us. “The GSEPC website provides help in learning how to identify the insects that you see.”
Cobb Master Gardeners also will be having a free Zoom webinar Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. with Becky Griffin, the UGA Extension’s Pollinator Census National Coordinator.
Griffin will present on the world of the pollinator ecology and share how anyone can contribute to the census.
Registration is free and available here: https://bit.ly/2025GSEPC-
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