Global Pollinator Watch AIG 2022​'s Boletim

Dear AIG Team,

Thank you all for your continued participation in the Global Pollinator Watch AIG, 2022 project on iNaturalist. We have enjoyed viewing your beautiful photos of insect pollinators around the globe and your contributions offer valuable data points to help better understand pollinator presence and diversity.

Last week, we hosted a Data and Action Webinar to share the results from the first five months of data collection, as well as actions you can take to support pollinators in your communities. Through October 1st, you had contributed over 400 observations which were over 70% research grade – the highest quality for use in scientific research. We encourage you to continue adding observations!

In addition to adding new observations to this project, please consider pollinator-friendly conservation actions you can undertake in your day-to-day life.

Find additional Pollinator conservation resources here:
Six Ways to Support Pollinators | Earthwatch | https://earthwatch.org/stories/six-ways-support-pollinators
Pollinator Conservation Program | Xerces Society | https://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation

Thank you again for your participation!
The Global Pollinator Watch Team

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere or in the tropics, along the equator – we encourage you to spend time outside observing insect pollinators, as the warm weather this time of year is prime season for pollinator activity.

However, with colder weather approaching in the Northern Hemisphere – we hope you will consider pollinator conservation actions you can take in the winter.

One important step you can take is creating and preserving nesting sites for bees in the outdoor spaces where you live. According to the Xerces Society, a leading insect conservation organization “the availability of nesting and overwintering habitats is one of the most important factors influencing populations of native bees and other beneficial insects”. While many traditional landscaping practices encourage the removal of dead flower stalks and leaves – cavities in these plants provide critical shelter for some insect pollinators during the cold winter months.

While your observation of pollinators may decline over the coming winter months, there are still actions you can take to ensure healthy pollinator populations.

Learn more from the Xerces Society about their Save the Stems initiative and pollinator friendly landscaping practices here: https://www.xerces.org/publications/brochures/save-the-stems

Please also continue contributing observations to the Global Pollinator Watch project! Your observations provide important data about pollinator presence, diversity, and phenology (seasonal and climate-related behavior).

All the best!
The Global Pollinator Watch Team