Yesterday I participated in a Pollinator week event at a local park dedicated to pollinators and education. There are educational events twice a year at this park. The event celebrating pollinator week is centered around children. Kids in summer camps or programs arrive in buses with counselors. The organizers keep inviting me back, so I guess I am doing a fairly good job of representing honey bees.
This year my objective was to teach the children and adults that different pollinators have a preference for different floral sources based on color, scent, time of day, and flower shape or Pollinator Syndromes. After showing a chart I had made with preferences for bees, butterflies, bats, birds, beetles, flies, wind, and moths the kids got to play a game board I made. I created a Match Game for the kids to play out of foam board, construction paper, velcro, etc. It looks like part of the game board is in the last picture. I wish I had taken a picture of the game because honey dripped on all over it from honey sticks we gave to everyone. It worked pretty well and it gave me an opportunity to explain that one plant species can attract multiple pollinators. Also, the concept that wind can be a pollinator too was something that was new to them.
In addition to the usual hive body, smoker, block of beeswax, etc. displayed and we explained to those interested I had displayed flowering plants with signage saying Plant This! and Don't Plant This! That's a good conversation started with adults.
