By Tanner Hood

Planters, gardens and fields filled with flittering, floating and flying pollinators foster plant and crop growth every spring and summer in Alabama. 

Connie Fuller experienced this firsthand while participating in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census administered by Alabama Cooperative Extension System. For Fuller, engaging in the census was enjoyable. 

“We decided to participate because it’s connected with our interest in agriculture and conservation. It was something simple we could do to make a difference,” said Fuller, who raises cattle, poultry, goats and bees with her husband, Brad, the Jefferson County Farmers Federation president. “Once we got started, it was surprisingly relaxing. Watching all the activity in our wildflower field made us realize how much we overlook in a busy day.”

Extension is working to determine where, and what, pollinators are active in Alabama each summer. The Great Southeast Pollinator Census expands that reach and identifies pollinators across the region, said Extension Agent Bethany O’Rear. 

“This is a citizen-science project,” said O’Rear, the Alabama project coordinator. “We had almost 3,000 counters and over 53,000 pollinators spotted in the state last year.”

The census began in 2017 in Georgia and has since expanded to include Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. Participation involves observing as pollinators land on plants and recording the kinds of insects and how many times they land within a short span of time. The census provides an opportunity to improve public perception about farmers, O’Rear said. 

“Highlighting this work helps reinforce the understanding that farmers are committed to caring for the land and the environment,” she said. “Their success is closely connected to healthy pollinator populations, and showcasing farmers as dedicated environmental stewards strengthens appreciation for the important role they play.”

Fuller, who farms in the north Jefferson County community of Warrior, reiterated fellow farmers’ impact on the census. 

“Farmer participation is key to projects like this because we see how pollinators affect crops,” Fuller said. “Sharing what we observe helps Extension better understand what’s happening in the field.”

O’Rear said there are three primary goals for the census. 

“We want to create a sustainable pollinator habitat,” O’Rear said. “We also want to increase entomological literacy. The census is designed to generate valuable insights about pollinator populations. This isn’t a rigorous study, but there is useful data that can come out of it.”

The 2026 target is statewide involvement.

“Fifty-five of Alabama’s 67 counties participated in 2025,” O’Rear said. “We developed education programming to increase collaboration with teachers and classrooms, and we hope day-long training in June will reach other groups, too.”

The 2026 Great Southeast Pollinator Census is Aug. 21-22.