The Great Southeast Pollinator Course
Seven weeks to increase your insect knowledge and upgrade your Great Southeast Pollinator Census counting skills. Learn with the experts!
Registration is open to new attendees
When
June 16 – July 28, 2026
Tuesdays · 3:00–4:30 p.m. EDT
Cost
$50
+ a commitment to count in August
Format
Live on Zoom
Recordings posted each Friday
Certificate
1+ PLU
for educators, on completion
The details
Presented as a Zoom webinar each Tuesday, 3:00–4:30 p.m. EDT, from June 16 through July 28, 2026. Can't make it live? Recordings are posted by Friday of that week.
The cost is $50, plus a commitment to lead, assist, or participate in a Census event on August 21 or 22, 2026, if you live in a Census state (Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, or Mississippi). Living outside the Southeast? Join for just the course fee. If the cost is a burden, email Becky Griffin at beckygri@uga.edu.
Upon completion you'll earn a course certificate. The course is equivalent to 1+ PLU for educators.
Week by week
Seven sessions, eight insect groups
Each Tuesday brings a new group of pollinators and the experts who know them best.
Carpenter Bees
Drilling, pollinating and misunderstood
Instructors
Dr. Bethany Harris
Director of the University of Georgia's Urban Ag Center. Bethany collaborates with industry professionals, homeowners, and county agents across sustainable food production, pollinator conservation, landscape horticulture, urban forestry, urban entomology, and urban water management.
Whitney Ottinger
Sustainable Agriculture Educator. Whitney develops and coordinates agricultural education through training activities, extension programs, and other sustainable agriculture resources and tools statewide.
Bumble Bees
Models of pollinating proficiency
Instructors
Rich Hatfield
Rich manages all aspects of the Xerces Society's work on bumble bees. He holds a master's in conservation biology from San Francisco State University and joined Xerces in 2012. His work spans local- and landscape-level factors in bumble bee abundance, native bee pollination in California's Central Valley, and endangered butterflies across the Pacific Northwest — paired with extensive classroom teaching in conservation biology and ecology.
Becky Griffin
National Coordinator of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, University of Georgia Pollinator Health Associate, and bumble bee lover! Becky helps document bumble bee species across the Southeast.
Butterflies
Scaled wings, serious science
Instructors
Dr. Sonia Altizer
Head of the University of Georgia Entomology Department. Dr. Altizer's lab is known for its research into butterfly behavior.
Jeremy Rhoden
Urban & Residential Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator for UF/IFAS Extension Marion County. Jeremy is the Great Southeast Pollinator Census Coordinator for the state of Florida.
Small Bees
Tiny bodies, outsized ecosystem impact
Instructors
Dr. Kris Braman
Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Georgia. Her recent research and teaching focus centers on the conservation of pollinators and other beneficial arthropods.
Amanda Bratcher
Horticulture agent at NC Cooperative Extension–Lee County Center and the state coordinator for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census in North Carolina. Amanda is passionate about plants AND pollinators!
Honey Bees
Sweetest of all the bees
Instructors
Dr. Jamie Ellis
Professor of Entomology in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia. Jamie and his team run over 30 active research projects in honey bee husbandry, conservation, and ecology.
Bethany O'Rear
Alabama Extension professional and Coordinator of Alabama's participation in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census.
Flies & Wasps
Unsung heroes of the garden
Instructors
Dr. Scott Clem
Assistant professor of insect ecology at Illinois State University (former postdoc at UGA's Department of Entomology). Dr. Clem's lab focuses on the ecology, behavior, and biodiversity of beneficial insects, with a particular emphasis on hover flies (Syrphidae). Basically, he's a fly-fanatic — and he hopes to inspire us all to love flies!
Dr. Jason Schmidt
Associate Professor at the University of Georgia's Tifton Campus. The Schmidt Lab focuses on arthropod ecology and trophic interactions.
Gabrielle LaTora
Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for UGA Extension in Fulton County. An entomologist by training, Gabrielle is interested in insects on farms and in gardens, and is passionate about closing the gap between people and their food.
The Other Insects
Beetles & beyond
Instructor
Dr. Joe McHugh
Herbert H. and Jean A. Ross Memorial Distinguished Professor of Insect Systematics and Evolutionary Biology in the Department of Entomology, University of Georgia. Dr. McHugh is also curator of the Georgia Museum of Natural History.
Ready to learn with the experts?
Registration is open to new attendees. Joining late, or want to revisit a session? Every class is recorded — watch the recordings anytime. Reach out to Becky Griffin if the fee is a barrier.