For educators
Bring the census to your classroom
The census is a ready-made, standards-friendly way to get students outside, observing and recording real data. Everything here is free to print, project, and adapt for K–12.
Classroom downloads
Everything you need to lead a count
Introducing the Census & Pollinators — PowerPoint
Teach youth and adults why pollinators matter, how to identify them, and how to count.
Insect Counting & Identification Guide
Field marks for all eight groups — print it or keep it on your phone.
Counting Worksheet
Tally insects on paper in the garden, then upload your totals here.
Pollinator Journal
A nature-journaling guide — drawing, observation, and poetry in the pollinator garden.
Pollinator Garden Design Guide
Katherine Melcher's companion for planning, planting, and keeping a school garden.
BINGO Garden Hunt — new for 2026
Easy and intermediate garden-hunt cards — a quick add for any youth or adult event.
Pollinators! Friends — 4-H magazine
An 8-page 4-H publication packed with pollinator facts and activities.
Certificate of Participation
A printable certificate to recognize your young counters.
Lesson plans
Ready-to-run classroom activities
Five hands-on lessons tie the census to science, math, and language arts. Email Becky Griffin for more ideas.
Insect Observation
Students watch the school garden and record what visits, using pollen sheets and an ID worksheet.
Honey Bee Roles
How a honey bee's duties change with age — acted out, role by role.
Honey Tasting
A tasty lesson on how bees make honey, with a color guide and a tasting ranking.
Math Mania
Use real census data to practice arithmetic, graphing, and two-way frequency tables.
Language Arts Activity Sheets
Writing and reading prompts that connect the count to the classroom.
Use the mascots freely
Put the insect mascots on flyers, stickers, social posts, event parking signs, and directions on your property. They're made to share.
Read together
The Great Pollinator Count
Susan Edwards Richmond's picture book follows a young girl named Mellie as she counts pollinators in her school garden — a gentle, accurate companion to the census for younger readers.
Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman · Peachtree Publishing
Go deeper
The Pollinator Course
A seven-week online course led by insect experts on biology, habitat, and conservation. You'll leave a more confident census counter — and see your garden differently.
Explore the courseHosting a counting event?
Print the Counting Sheet and ID Guide; have a few copies on hand, plus pencils and clipboards.
Project the Counting for the Census PowerPoint to walk participants through the protocol.
Post your event on the Facebook page and share the mascots to spread the word.
Show off your garden so participants want to come back after the census ends.