[PAEE] The Great Sunflower Project

[Mary Jo Gibson]

The Great Sunflower Project



While most persons have heard about Colony Collapse Disorder in honey bees, few realize that all of our pollinators, butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles, wasps, and native bees may also be in decline.  Gretchen LeBuhn of San Francisco State University has created a citizen science project to study the population of bees in North America.  The Great Sunflower Project uses a native annual plant, the sunflower, to attract bees.  Citizens simply plant sunflowers and twice monthly record the time it takes five bees to visit a blooming flower.  If no bees arrive in 30 minutes, the observation time is finished.  While data from any kind of sunflower may be submitted, The Great Sunflower Project is giving small packets of the variety 'Lemon Queen' to participants to reduce variables in the experiment.  'Lemon Queen' grows five feet tall with 4-5" blossoms of clear yellow petals around a dark chocolate center and is just right for flower beds & even containers.  Teachers may request additional seeds or purchase their own locally.  For participants who are able, distinguishing among five different kinds of bees will give even more information to the project.  The bee categories are simple:  honey bees, bumble bees, carpenter bees, green metallic bees, and "other" bees.  All data is submitted on-line or by mail.



This is a very well-planned project and it has received high praise from Sigma Xi, an honor society for science researchers.  The Great Sunflower Project can be completed by anyone and everyone.  Pollinators, especially bees, are essential to our food supply.  Bees are responsible for every third bite of food.



Please visit this website for more information:  http://www.greatsunflower.org/  



Mary Jo R. Gibson

Penn State Master Gardener

Columbia County
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