Researchers recently became aware that colonies of bees were disappearing from one day to the next ("Colony Collapse Disorder"). As one of the first large-scale studies on the health of wild bees and their effect on the pollination of crops, gardens and wild plants, The Great Sunflower Project (GSFP) was launched in 2008. The goal: gathering information on urban, suburban and rural bee populations. Now they are asking for our help.

The Great Sunflower Project enlists Citizen Scientists from across the United States and Canada to observe bees and help collect data on these important pollinators.

As a Citizen Scientist, you can help by planting specific “bee magnets” - specially chosen easy-to-grow sunflowers and other plants that attract bees to your garden. Take a few minutes to count them! The numbers you count will help researchers understand how urban, suburban and rural landscapes are interconnected, and how we can help the bees.

Current findings suggest that, on average, gardeners are likely to see a bee pollinate every 2.6 minutes. Surprisingly, over 20% of gardens recorded no sightings of bees. This 2010 map represents the average number of bees observed within a 15-minute time-span, broken down into three categories indicating the quality of the pollinator service (red = poor, yellow = moderate and green = good).

To participate in The Great Sunflower Project, just pick up some annual Lemon Queen sunflower seeds at your local store or through one of the seed sellers listed here. The list of plants used in the study has grown, so you can also choose to grow any of the following: Bee Balm or Wild Bergamot, Large flowered Tickseed, Rosemary, Goldenrod, Lacy Phacelia, or Purple coneflower. Simply follow the instructions on the Getting Started page!