Global Pollinator Watch AIG 2024's Journal

Welcome! We are thrilled to launch the 2024 edition of Global Pollinator Watch. We are so glad you have joined us this year. We greatly appreciate your contributions to this project. We hope you are able to connect through a shared interest in nature, the outdoors, or AIG, learn from each other, share your discoveries, and contribute to vital conservation efforts.

As part of our community, you’ll have the opportunity to upload your observations, link observations of plants and insects, identify species with the help of AI and fellow participatory scientists, and participate in an effort that will enhance our collective understanding of local and global ecosystems.

Whether you're a seasoned naturalist or just starting your journey into the wonders of the natural world, your observations are valuable. Every photo, every data point, helps build a clearer picture of the biodiversity that sustains our planet.

So grab your camera, step outside, and let’s start exploring together. Share your first observations today and join us in making a meaningful impact on the conservation and study of our world’s incredible biodiversity.

We can't wait to see what you discover!

Dear AIG Observers,

When enjoying a meal today, remember one out of every three bites or sips are thanks to pollinators. Insect pollinators provide an estimated economic value of at least $35 billion in the United States alone!

Please join us this week in celebrating National Pollinator Week 2024 (June 17-23)! This annual, weeklong initiative hosted and maintained by Pollinator Partnership seeks to recognize the importance of pollinators and educate members of the public on how to protect and conserve them. This year’s theme is Vision 2040: Thriving ecosystems, economies, and agriculture. The hosts urge us to envision a future where pollinators not only survive but thrive. Please check out the Pollinator Partnership website to learn more about Pollinator Week and how you can support pollinators: https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week.

As we remember the important ecological and economic value of pollinators, we hope that you get together with people from your office, your family, or your friends and go and collect insect pollinator data for Global Pollinator Watch! This simple action to contribute to the Global Pollinator Watch project on iNaturalist will provide essential data for Earthwatch scientists to better understand pollinator presence and diversity around the world. We currently have 62 observations in this year’s project, let’s see if we can double or even triple that number this week!

For additional guidance or resources, please remember to reference the AIG Global Pollinator Watch landing page: https://earthwatch.org/global-pollinator-watch-aig.

We look forward to seeing more observations!