Join the Great Bee Count Day on Aug. 17

San Francisco State University’s Great Sunflower Project is celebrating its annual Great Bee Count on Saturday, Aug. 17. Volunteers nationwide are asked to count bees and upload their findings to www.greatsunflower.org    

This summer, LeBuhn and her fellow researchers have moved beyond the backyard. They have expanded their website to allow participants to report bees wherever they see them, whether buzzing near the mailbox, on a single backyard plant, or throughout a local park or parking lot. With these new ways to count bees, LeBuhn hopes to find out even more about the kinds of plants and places that are inviting to pollinators. 

“We don't know where pollinators are doing well or poorly so we don't have any idea where to direct our conservation efforts,” said SF State biologist and project founder Gretchen LeBuhn. “By identifying the critical resources, we will be able to do smarter conservation. Bees are responsible for every third bite of food we eat.”

In preparation for the Great Bee Count volunteers can practice uploading pollinator sightings by registering at http://www.greatsunflower.org/user/register