The Midweek Program - “Celebrating Pollinators & The Pollinator Census with Amanda Bratcher”

Presented by Dennis Carey, Curator, JC Raulston Arboretum; Amanda Bratcher, Lee County Extension Agent, NC State Extension; and Evan Villani, Research Technician, JC Raulston Arboretum on August 20, 2025.

Pollinators are essential to our ecosystems, our food supply, and the gardens we love — and they need our help! Just in time for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census (happening August 22–23), we’re sitting down with Amanda Bratcher, Extension Agent with NC State Extension and a driving force behind bringing this important citizen science project to North Carolina.

In this special Midweek Program, Amanda will join our Curator Dennis for a wide-ranging conversation about pollinators, their role in healthy landscapes, and how everyday gardeners can get involved in monitoring and supporting these vital creatures. We’ll also explore the work of North Carolina Cooperative Extension and talk about how collaborative efforts like the Pollinator Census are helping connect science, education, and community.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just pollinator-curious, this episode will give you fresh insight into why these busy little creatures matter — and how you can be part of something bigger by simply taking a closer look at your garden.

Resources:

The Great Southeast Pollinator Census main website:
https://go.ncsu.edu/gsepcinnc

The JCRA Event page for the event happening here:
https://jcra.ncsu.edu/events/details....

Locations of Public events:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Data Collection Sheet:
https://gsepc.org/wp-content/uploads/...

Video on how to identify the types of insects the Census is interested in:
   • GSEPC: Get to Know the Insects: Great SE P...  

Map of all the pollinator gardens in the state:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4zWQ32qVbDxyE...

This program was originally presented live online. Tune into our midweek program live on Zoom, Wednesdays at 3:00pm eastern time. Here's the link: https://jcra.ncsu.edu/midweek/