Pollinators Unit Study and Meeting Plan
Pollinators are responsible for roughly one out of every three bites of food you eat. Without them, most of the fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds we depend on simply would not exist. In this unit study, you will learn who pollinators are, how they work, why their numbers are declining, and what you can do about it. This study pairs well with badges such as Flower Gardening, Beekeeping, Insects (General), and Save the Bees.
1. What Is a Pollinator?
A pollinator is any creature that moves pollen from one flower to another, allowing plants to reproduce and produce fruit or seeds. When a pollinator visits a flower to drink nectar or collect pollen for food, tiny pollen grains stick to its body. When it moves to the next flower, some of that pollen rubs off and fertilizes the plant. That process — pollination — is what makes it possible for a plant to produce fruit, vegetables, nuts, or seeds.
Most people think of honeybees when they think of pollinators, but the group is much broader than that. Here are some of the most common pollinators and what they tend to pollinate:
- Honeybees – Apples, almonds, blueberries, cucumbers, and dozens of other crops.
- Bumblebees – Tomatoes, peppers, cranberries, and wildflowers. Bumblebees are especially effective pollinators because of a technique called buzz pollination, where they vibrate their flight muscles to shake pollen loose.
- Mason bees – Fruit trees including apples, cherries, and pears. A single mason bee can do the pollination work of 100 honeybees.
- Butterflies – Wildflowers, milkweed, and many garden plants. Butterflies are less efficient than bees but important for plant diversity.
- Moths – Many moths pollinate at night, visiting flowers that bloom after dark such as moonflowers and evening primrose.
- Beetles – One of the oldest pollinators on earth. Beetles pollinate magnolias, spicebush, and many other plants that predate bees.
- Flies – Often overlooked, flies pollinate many crops including onions, carrots, and some fruit trees.
- Wasps – Figs cannot reproduce without a specific species of wasp. Many other plants also rely on wasps for pollination.
The pollinators found in your area depend on where you live. A backyard in the Pacific Northwest will have different native pollinators than one in the Southwest or the Midwest. Your local cooperative extension office, native plant society, or a quick search for “[your state] native pollinators” will give you a list specific to your region.
To Do: Find out which pollinators are native to your area. Choose four and make a simple field guide page for each one — draw or print a picture, write the name, and list what it pollinates.
Fulfills requirement #1
2. Anatomy of a Flower
To understand how pollination works, it helps to understand what is actually happening inside a flower. Every part of a flower has a job, and most of those jobs are connected in some way to attracting pollinators or completing the pollination process.
Here are the main parts of a flower and what they do:
- Petals – The colorful outer parts of the flower. Their color, shape, and scent attract specific pollinators. Some flowers have ultraviolet patterns on their petals that are invisible to humans but act as landing guides for bees.
- Stamen – The male part of the flower, made up of a filament (stalk) and an anther (the tip that produces pollen). This is where pollen is made and released.
- Pistil – The female part of the flower. It includes the stigma (the sticky tip that catches pollen), the style (a tube that connects the stigma to the ovary), and the ovary (where seeds develop after fertilization).
- Sepal – The small, leaf-like structures at the base of the flower that protect the bud before it opens.
To Do: Go outside and find a flower — from your yard, a garden, or a park. Carefully pull back the petals and look inside. With the help of an adult you can also carefully cut the flower in half to see inside instead. Using the descriptions above, try to find and identify at least three parts. You can use a magnifying glass to get a better look at smaller flowers. Draw what you see and label the parts you can identify.
Fulfills requirement #2
3. Pollinators Beyond Insects
Insects get most of the attention when it comes to pollination, but they are not the only creatures doing the work. Several vertebrates — animals with backbones — are also important pollinators, particularly in certain regions of the world.
Hummingbirds are among the most well-known non-insect pollinators in North America. They are attracted to tubular, brightly colored flowers — particularly red ones — and hover while they feed, transferring pollen from flower to flower on their heads and bills. Plants that rely on hummingbirds for pollination include trumpet vine, salvia, columbine, and many species of penstemon.
Bats are the primary pollinators for many plants in tropical and desert regions. In the American Southwest and Mexico, bats are essential pollinators for agave plants — the same plant used to make tequila — as well as saguaro and organ pipe cacti. Most bat-pollinated flowers bloom at night and tend to be pale or white, with strong scents that bats can detect in the dark.
Birds other than hummingbirds also pollinate plants in other parts of the world. Sunbirds in Africa and Asia, honeyeaters in Australia, and honeycreepers in Hawaii all play roles similar to hummingbirds in their respective ecosystems.
Lizards and geckos have been documented as pollinators on some islands where few insects exist, particularly in the Canary Islands and New Zealand.
To Do: Set up a simple observation station outside — a chair near a vegetable garden, flower garden, orchard or wildflower area — and spend 20 minutes watching for pollinators. Record everything you see visiting the flowers, including any non-insect visitors. Keep a tally by type. How many different kinds of pollinators visited in 20 minutes? Do you notice a difference in the number of pollinators if you watch in the early morning vs. the afternoon?
Fulfills requirement #3
4. Pollinators on Your Table
It is easy to think of pollinators as something happening out in nature, separate from daily life. But walk through your kitchen and you will find their work everywhere. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that pollinators contribute more than 15 billion dollars a year to the value of U.S. crops. Without them, grocery store shelves would look very different.
Here are some everyday foods and products and the pollinators behind them:
- Almonds – Almost entirely dependent on honeybees. California almond growers import millions of honeybee colonies every February for pollination.
- Apples – Require cross-pollination by bees. Without bees, apple trees produce little to no fruit.
- Avocados – Pollinated primarily by bees and some flies.
- Blueberries – Native bumblebees are among the most effective pollinators for blueberries.
- Chocolate – Cacao trees are pollinated by tiny midges (a type of fly). Without them, there would be no chocolate.
- Coffee – While some coffee plants can self-pollinate, bee pollination significantly increases yield and quality.
- Cucumbers and squash – Depend heavily on bees, particularly native squash bees.
- Vanilla – In most of the world, vanilla orchids must be hand-pollinated because the native bee that pollinated them in Mexico is not found elsewhere.
- Cotton – Used in clothing and many household products; pollinated primarily by bees.
- Sunflower oil – Sunflowers are pollinated by bees and other insects.
To Do: Open your refrigerator and pantry and make a list of at least five foods or products you find that would not exist without pollinators. Use the examples above as a starting point, then see what else you can find. You might be surprised how much of your kitchen depends on them. Do some research and see if you can find out what animal pollinates each food.
Fulfills requirement #4
5. Why Pollinator Numbers Are Declining
Pollinator populations around the world have been declining significantly over the past several decades. Some species have lost more than 90 percent of their population. Understanding why is the first step toward doing something about it.
Habitat loss is the leading cause. As land is developed for housing, agriculture, and roads, the wildflowers, hedgerows, meadows, and forests that pollinators depend on disappear. A bee or butterfly that cannot find food or a safe place to nest cannot survive.
Pesticides are a major threat, particularly a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids (often called “neonics”). These chemicals are absorbed by the entire plant — including the pollen and nectar — and can disorient bees, impair their ability to navigate back to the hive, and weaken their immune systems. Even pesticides that do not kill pollinators outright can make them more vulnerable to disease.
Disease and parasites have devastated honeybee populations in particular. The Varroa mite, a parasite that feeds on bees and spreads viruses, has been one of the most destructive forces in managed honeybee colonies since it arrived in the U.S. in the 1980s.
Monoculture farming — growing a single crop over vast acreage — leaves pollinators with a very limited food supply for most of the year. When the crop blooms, there may be plenty of food. But for the rest of the season, there is nothing.
Climate change is disrupting the timing of flowering plants and the life cycles of pollinators. When flowers bloom earlier than usual because of warmer temperatures, the pollinators that depend on them may not yet be active — creating a mismatch that affects both the plant and the pollinator.
To Do: Create a cause-and-effect chart. On one side, list at least three reasons pollinator populations are declining. On the other side, draw or describe what happens to plants, food supplies, and ecosystems if each cause continues unchecked. Discuss: Which of these causes do you think would be the hardest to fix, and which might be the easiest?
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6. Three Ways to Help
The good news about pollinator decline is that individual actions genuinely make a difference. Pollinators do not need vast wilderness areas — they need food, water, and safe places to nest, and those things can be provided in a backyard, a balcony, or even a single pot on a porch.
Here are some of the most effective ways to help:
- Plant native flowers. Native plants and native pollinators evolved together, which means native plants provide exactly the right kind of food. Even a small patch of native wildflowers can support dozens of pollinator species. Contact your local cooperative extension office or native plant society for a list of the best plants for your area.
- Stop using pesticides — or switch to pollinator-safe alternatives. Avoid neonicotinoids in particular. If pest control is necessary, apply it in the evening when pollinators are less active, and never spray open flowers.
- Leave some of your yard wild. Unmowed areas, leaf piles, bare patches of ground, and dead wood all provide nesting habitat for native bees. Many native bees are ground-nesters and need undisturbed soil to survive.
- Put out a bee water station. Like all living things, pollinators need water. A shallow dish with clean water and some pebbles for landing gives bees and butterflies a safe place to drink.
- Build or install a native bee house. Unlike honeybees, most native bees are solitary and nest in small cavities — hollow stems, holes in wood, or crevices in stone. A simple bee house made of bundled hollow tubes gives them a place to nest.
- Support local beekeepers. Buying local honey supports beekeepers who maintain healthy colonies in your area.
To Do: Choose one action from the list above — or come up with one of your own — and do it. Document what you did with notes or photos. If you planted flowers, record what you planted and where. If you built a bee house, note where you placed it and observe whether it gets used over the coming weeks.
How to Make a Bee Watering Station:
- Option 1: Fill a hummingbird feeder with water instead of sugar syrup
- Option 2: Fill a shallow container like a plant saucer or even a Frizbee with water. Place a bunch of rocks in the water for the bees to perch on. Remember that bees can’t swim so make sure there are plenty of landing spaces and that the water is not so deep that they can drown.
Fulfills requirement #6
7. Design a Pollinator Garden
A pollinator garden does not have to be large or complicated. A few well-chosen plants in the right location can support dozens of species of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators throughout the season. The key is variety — different pollinators are active at different times of year and are attracted to different types of flowers, so a good pollinator garden has plants that bloom from early spring through late fall and offers a range of shapes and colors.
A few principles to keep in mind when designing:
- Choose native plants. Native plants evolved alongside native pollinators and provide the best nutrition. Exotic plants may look beautiful but often produce little usable pollen or nectar for local species.
- Aim for continuous bloom. Plan for at least one plant blooming in early spring, several in summer, and one or two in fall. Early spring bloomers are especially important because pollinators are emerging from dormancy and need food immediately.
- Include a range of flower shapes. Flat, open flowers like coneflowers and black-eyed Susans are accessible to many pollinators. Tubular flowers like salvia and penstemon attract hummingbirds and long-tongued bees. Including both supports more species.
- Skip the double flowers. Flowers that have been bred to have extra petals often have little or no pollen or nectar and are difficult for pollinators to access.
- Add water. A shallow dish with pebbles gives pollinators a safe place to drink.
- Leave some bare ground. Many native bees nest in the ground and need undisturbed, unm mulched soil to do so.
To Do: Design your pollinator garden on paper. Draw a layout showing where each plant will go, label each plant by name, and note when it blooms. Research which plants are native to your specific region — your local cooperative extension office, native plant society, or the Xerces Society website (xerces.org) are good starting points. If resources allow, plant the garden you design.
Fulfills optional requirement #8
8. Go on a Bug Hunt
The best way to appreciate pollinators is to go find them. A simple bug hunt in your own backyard — or a nearby park, garden, or field — can turn up a surprising variety of insects, and identifying which ones are pollinators gives you a much more concrete sense of what is actually living and working around you.
Supplies:
- Bug net or jar with a lid
- Magnifying glass
- Notebook and pencil
- Field guide or insect identification app such as iNaturalist or Seek app
Instructions:
- Head outside to a spot where you are likely to find insects — near flowers is best.
- Catch an insect gently using your net or jar. Handle it carefully and observe it up close with your magnifying glass before releasing it.
- Record what you find in your notebook — draw a quick sketch, note the color and size, and describe where you found it.
- Use a field guide or iNaturalist to identify what you caught. Is it a pollinator?
- Release the insect and move on to the next one.
- Spend at least 30 minutes hunting. At the end, count how many different species you found and how many of them are pollinators.
Fulfills optional requirement #13
9. Host a Pollinator Party
Food is one of the most direct ways to help people understand why pollinators matter. Almost every dish at a typical party includes at least one ingredient that required a pollinator to exist — and making that connection visible is one of the most effective ways to get people to care.
To Do: Host a Pollinator Party for friends, family, or your group. Plan a menu made up entirely of foods that depend on pollinators — fruits, vegetables, nuts, chocolate, coffee, honey, and anything made from them. You can also make insect or flower inspired edible art and pair this with the Edible Art badge. Label each dish with a small card identifying which pollinator makes it possible. You can also set up a simple display showing what the food supply would look like without pollinators. At the end of the party, invite your guests to take a pledge to do at least one thing to help pollinators in their own home or yard.
Some menu ideas to get you started:
- A fruit platter (strawberries, blueberries, melon, apples) — bees
- Guacamole — bees
- Chocolate fondue or brownies — midges
- Honey lemonade — bees
- Almond cookies — honeybees
- Cucumber sandwiches — bees
If you want some fun artistic food ideas, use the links below. These are 3rd party links so use at your own risk.
Fulfills optional requirement #14
10. How Flowers Attract Pollinators
Flowers do not attract pollinators by accident. Flowers and their pollinators have a close relationship that benefits both. Flowers use a remarkable variety of features to attract the right pollinators and help ensure pollen is transferred effectively.
- Color – Different pollinators are attracted to different colors. Bees are drawn to blue, purple, and yellow flowers. Hummingbirds prefer red and orange. Butterflies visit a wide range of colors. Many flowers also have ultraviolet patterns — invisible to humans but clearly visible to bees — that act as landing guides pointing toward the nectar.
- Scent – Many flowers produce scent specifically to attract pollinators. Flowers pollinated by bees often smell sweet. Flowers pollinated by flies sometimes smell like rotting meat. Flowers pollinated by moths tend to have strong, sweet scents that are released at night.
- Shape – Flower shape often matches the body or feeding style of its pollinator. Tubular flowers fit the long bill of a hummingbird or the long tongue of a bumblebee. Flat, open flowers are accessible to many different insects. Some orchids have evolved to mimic the appearance of a female bee so precisely that male bees attempt to mate with them, picking up pollen in the process.
- Timing – Some flowers open only during certain times of day or night to target specific pollinators. Morning glories open in the morning. Evening primrose opens at dusk to attract moths. Some cacti bloom for only a single night.
- Nectar guides – Patterns of spots, lines, or color changes on petals guide pollinators toward the nectar and, in doing so, toward the pollen. These markings are sometimes visible to the naked eye and sometimes only in ultraviolet light.
To Do: Go outside and examine at least five different flowers. For each one, make a prediction about what pollinator it is designed to attract based on its color, shape, timing and scent. Does it have any nectar guides you can see? Record your predictions, then look up each flower to see if you were right. Were there any surprises?
To Do: Build the Perfect Flower
Choose one pollinator from the list below, or write each pollinator’s name on an index card and draw one at random.
- Honeybee
- Bumblebee
- Butterfly
- Hummingbird
- Moth
- Beetle
- Fly
- Bat
Your challenge is to design the ideal flower for your pollinator. Think about everything you have learned about how flowers attract different pollinators. Decide what features your flower should have, including:
- Color
- Shape
- Scent
- Blooming time (day or night)
- Amount of nectar
- Landing platform (if needed)
- Size
Draw your flower or build a three-dimensional model using construction paper, modeling clay, recycled materials, or other craft supplies. Label the different parts of your flower and explain how each feature helps attract your assigned pollinator.
Fulfills optional requirement #24
11. Interview a Local Expert
Beekeepers, entomologists, and Master Gardeners who work in your area know things about local pollinator populations that you simply cannot find in a book or online. They know which species are thriving and which are struggling, what specific threats exist in your region, and what has actually worked locally to make a difference. Getting that information directly from someone who works with pollinators every day is one of the most valuable things you can do in this study.
To Do: Contact a local beekeeper, entomologist, or Master Gardener and request an interview or invite them to speak to your group. Before the interview, prepare a list of questions. Some ideas:
- What pollinators are most common in our area, and which are most at risk?
- What are the biggest challenges pollinators face locally?
- What plants do you recommend for someone who wants to help pollinators in our region?
- What is one thing most people get wrong about pollinators?
- What has made the biggest positive difference for pollinators in our area?
To find a local expert, contact your county cooperative extension office, local beekeeping association, or search for a Master Gardener program in your area.
Fulfills optional requirement #12
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