In May, a group of extension professionals and Master Gardener volunteers headed across the pond to explore pollinator conservation and citizen science in and around London.
State coordinators of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census from Georgia (Becky Griffin, Founder), Florida (Jeremy Rhoden), North Carolina (Amanda Brachter) and South Carolina (Amy Dabbs), along with the North Carolina State Master Gardener Coordinator (Charlotte Glenn), spent the week visiting researchers, educators and gardeners who are passionate about protecting pollinators and teaching others how to create pollinator-friendly landscapes. From the moment we stepped off the plane, this group of horticulturists and garden enthusiasts could not stop snapping photos of bumblebees and flowers.
Our group’s primary mission was to learn how the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS), a citizen science project akin to the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, provides national-level data that tracks bees, hoverflies and other flower-visiting insects. The team visited with several PoMS educational outreach partners and presented our work at each visit. The exchange of knowledge and ideas has already led to some interesting “cross-pollination”!
Everywhere we looked in London, we saw evidence that people are keen on protecting pollinators; from iconic Royal Horticultural Society gardens to wildlife-friendly allotment gardens, we saw no-mow areas in public spaces, flowers planted everywhere and thoughtful designs that support pollinators.
