The Great Sunflower Project Is Back

After a successful first run with over 30,000 participants in the U.S. and Canada, The Great Sunflower Project returns for spring 2009. Lead by researchers from San Francisco State University, the project is an excellent way for children and adults to work together to help the environment.

Sunflower seeds are currently in the process of being shipped to 2009 participants who will plant the flowers in their own gardens and monitor the activity of bee behavior. These efforts will assist researchers from SFSU in learning more about bees' relationship to pollination and the insect's currently declining numbers.

Here are the simple steps to join the The Great Sunflower Project:

1. Sign up for free, request seeds or plant your own sunflower seeds (this year's seed is the annual Lemon Queen sunflowers: Helianthus annuus.

2. Describe your garden.

3. Time how long it takes 5 bees to visit your sunflower plant.

4. Enter your data online or send in your form.

All ages are welcome to participate in the Great Sunflower Project. As soon as you create an account, you'll be added to the list of people scheduled to receive sunflower seeds. One batch of seeds has already been sent out this week. More seed batches are scheduled to be be sent in April and May.

The seeds are annual Lemon Queen sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). These sunflowers can be grown in a pot on a deck or patio or in a garden. Of course participants may obtain their own seeds and then send in the data. But, if doing so, project organizers ask that you use annual sunflower "Lemon Queen" (Helianthus annuus), which ensures that all participants will be comparing the same flowers.

Comments

[online sunflowers]

Fun post!How i wish i am living in US so that i can join that kind of project.

-Aubrey

[Amanda]

How fun! Thanks for sharing the kids will love this!