By Nikki Belmonte, Georgia Native Plant Society
Step outside during this sizzling summer and you will likely see a pollinator hovering, crawling or flying around in search of food. A pollinator is any animal that helps carry pollen from one flower to another, allowing the plant to become fertilized and produce fruit and seeds. More than 75% of the flowering plants worldwide are pollinated by insects, birds and mammals. Many of these plants are important for our food, medicine, fuel or fiber. And pollinators are some of the neatest animals on earth. In Georgia, we can appreciate beautiful creatures such as common eastern bumble bees, gulf fritillaries and ruby-throated hummingbirds regularly.
You have probably heard that pollinators are in decline. This is largely due to the reduction of quality pollinator habitat. As native vegetation is replaced by building developments, roadways, manicured lawns, crops and non-native landscapes, pollinators lose the food and nesting sites that are necessary for their survival. The remaining habitat is fragmented making it harder for pollinators to reach new breeding sites or find better habitat. Other major threats to pollinators include pesticide use, non native species and climate change.
In a new study published in March 2025, led by NatureServe, the authoritative source for biodiversity data throughout North America, revealed that one in five pollinator species face an elevated extinction risk. Within the 1,600 species surveyed, bees are the most threatened type of pollinator, representing 35% of the declining species. Another groundbreaking study conducted by the U.S. working group on butterflies hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Center for Pollinator Conservation and the U.S. Geological Service was published this year. It concluded that the total abundance of butterflies has declined by 22% from 2000 to 2020. Yikes.
Why should Georgians care about these numbers? In Georgia, the value of pollinators is being made clear. In 2021, Sharon Kane of the University of Georgia (UGA) Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, teamed up with Becky Griffin of the UGA Cooperative Extension to demonstrate the value of pollinators, the economic impact in Georgia and the need to educate and empower people to support conservation efforts and take personal actions. This research showed that the annual economic value of pollination in Georgia is $635 million and breaks down the data on a statewide map by county. This is just one way to look at the importance of pollinators; the value of pollinators to high-functioning ecosystems, to human health, to wildlife, to the beauty of this planet we call home is invaluable.
Organizations across the state have teamed up to bring the plight of pollinators to light and develop solutions to their rapid decline. The Georgia Pollinator Partnership (GAPP) provides and shares resources to the public about pollinators and their preferred habitats through a collaborative network. Georgia Native Plant Society is one of the partner organizations, along with the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at UGA, UGA Extension, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Monarchs Across Georgia, Birds Georgia and several academic institutions. The first collaborative project completed by this network is the GAPP Map, an interactive visualization of pollinator gardens across Georgia. GAPP encourages individuals and organizations to create and manage their own pollinator gardens and add them to the map. Many sites are public and can be visited to learn more about what a pollinator garden or larger habitat can look like.
The GAPP Map shows pollinator habitat across Georgia. Visit gapp.org to explore more.
The GAPP Map highlights sites surveyed for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. The Great Southeast Pollinator Census is one of the greatest community science successes in Georgia, and everyone should know about it. Created by Becky Griffin of the UGA Extension Service, this project is designed for anyone to participate and make a difference for pollinator conservation by counting pollinators for just 15 minutes. Counts can be done by individuals on their own, or you may join a Census event. (Check the Georgia Native Plant Society calendar for Census events near you.) The Census takes place every August, and resources are available to make this a fantastic project for teachers to implement. The results show the number of groups of pollinators and are published so they can be used as a learning and management tool to plan and install pollinator habitat. The next Great Southeast Pollinator Census is coming up on August 22-23. Check out the website for more information on participating.
There are many ways to get involved in pollinator conservation. From the perspective of native plants, the easiest action you can take is to add a native flowering plant to your landscape, whether it’s planted in a garden or in a patio pot. You will be amazed at the pollinators that show up. Some easy-to-grow pollinator magnets for summer and fall include beebalms (Monarda species), coneflowers (Rudbeckia species), blue mist flower (Conoclinium coelestinum) and goldenrods (Solidago species). If you want to prepare for spring pollinators, plant fleabane (Erigeron species), red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) or the GNPS 2025 Plant of the Year, blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium). If you can’t help by planting a native perennial, you can wear one! Check out the Georgia Native Plant Society shop for blue-eyed grass, blue mistflower and spotted beebalm shirts.
