Great Sunflower Project

I have requested 8 packs of seeds for our Scouts to be part of The Great Sunflower Project.  I hope to hear soon if we are approved.  It's a great project for the boys and easy to do.

The Buzz: Spring 2010

Wed, 02/24/2010 - 22:46 — Gretchen Lebuhn Welcome to 2010!
Thanks to your help 2009 was an epic year for The Great Sunflower Project. With over 50 thousand participants we are reaching our goal of documenting bee pollination in the US and developing strategies to protect and restore native bees where they are threatened. Building on the momentum from 2009, we are excited to get going this spring! We have made some changes that I want to share early in the year.
First, we are simplifying our sampling protocol
There are now three steps:
1) count the number of flowers on your plant with pollen;
2) record all bees (not just the first 5) your sunflower for 15 minutes; and
3) enter the data online.
You do not need to write down temperatures or the number of other sunflowers in your garden.
We have very few people who see five bees in 15 minutes and the analysis of the data becomes much simpler if everyone samples for the same length of time. So, if you can, grab your favorite beverage and write down what time you started and a time for each bee that visits. We are in the process of modifying the data entry form on the website to reflect these changes. It isn’t quite finished though.