INSTRUCTIONS FOR OBSERVING POLLINATORS

1. Print out a pollinator visitation data sheet, or use your smartphone to directly fill out our pollinator visitation submission form.
2. On a day that is not too cold, rainy or windy, choose a single type of annual ornamental within your I-Pollinate garden to observe. Record the garden address, date, and weather. Then record the type of ornamental, the flower color, and time you begin the observation.
3. Before starting observation be sure to sit or stand so as not to cast a shadow over the flowers you’re observing.
4. Watch the flowers of 2 of the plants continuously for 3 minutes. Record any insects that land on the flowers (bee, butterfly, fly or other). Only watch and record insects which land on the flowering parts of the plants, not the leaves or stems. If during the 3 minute observation, no insects (or no insects of a particular category) visit the flowers, this is still important data!  Record “0” for that observation.  Check out our Identifying Pollinators page before you begin for tips on differentiating  pollinators.
5. If you have the time to do additional observations, switch to a different type of ornamental or two different plants and begin a new observation.
6.  You can perform as many different observations as you want, but it would be ideal if participants performed at least three observations for each of the ornamental species within their I-Pollinate garden. If you filled out a paper observation form, submit data through our pollinator visitation submission form. Make sure to submit each 3-minute observation separately.

*This activity is suitable for those 7 yrs old or older.  You must be able to count to 10 and stay seated and focused for 3 or more minutes.