Calling all Gardeners & Beekeepers!There's been lots of attention in the news recently about the plight of the honey bees & colony collaspe disorder. Here's a great opportunity if you're a beekeeper &/or gardener. It's also a great way to get kids involved in the garden while participating in a little scientific research. It's called The Great Sunflower Project.
Basically, this non-profit sends you free sunflower seeds (Lemon Queen), you plant them & then observe when honey bees are visiting the plants & thus pollinating the plants. By watching and recording the bees at sunflowers in your garden, you can help gather information to gain and understand the challenges that bees are facing. You can either report your findings by email or snail mail. Seeds are sent out in late February & again in early Spring 2009. Just in time to plant!
The reasons to participate:
It takes less than 30 minutes.
It's easy.
Free Sunflower seeds for planting or buy your own ~ LEMON Queen only because the bees love this sunflower.
No knowledge of bees required! Great learning opportunity! You are helping research the plight of the honey bee.
The brown sunflower picture & the picture at the right are pictures from my garden last summer. Don't buy the hybrid & colored sunflowers because the bees don't like them ~ they're only produced for their color ~ not their seeds or pollen. The other picture is my son, Will & our dog Rudi-Pa-Tuti. They're standing by my beautiful Bee Balm that the honey bees go crazy for!
I hope you participate & thank you in advance for sending in your research for this important environmental study!
