POLLINATION STATION. Wild Discover Zone

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "POLLINATION STATION. Wild Discover Zone"

Luke Booker
6 years ago
Views:

1 Wild Discover Zone POLLINATION STATION This activity is designed to engage all ages of Zoo visitors. Your duty as an excellent educator and interpreter is to adjust your approach to fit each group you interact with. Be aware that all groups are on some kind of a time limit. There are no set time requirements for this interaction. Read their behavior and end the interaction when they seem ready to move on. Theme: The process of pollination is essential to plant reproduction, the health of an ecosystem and to people as well. Summary: Educators will lead discussions about the importance of pollination in an ecosystem and the effect it is has on plants and people. Objectives: During and after the encounter, guests will: Understand the process of pollination Participate in discussion about which animals are considered pollinators Understand why pollination is importan to both the ecosystem and to our food production Be motivated to participate in conservation of pollinators Location: Cart near World of the Insect Materials: Chart displaying some of the common pollinators, milkweed seed packets, pollinator selfiephoto cut-outs, mini bee hive display and hummingbird feeders. Background Information: Contents: Part 1: Breaking the Ice Doing the Activity Part 2: The Process of Pollination Part 3: The Importance of Pollination to People Pollinator Decline Part 4: Common Pollinators in the Tri-state Part 5: Milkweed for Monarchs 2015 WDZ Pollination 1

2 Part 1 : Breaking the Ice: Volunteer A should mingle with guests as they walk by. Engage them with an icebreaker by answering their questions, adding something to their observations, or introducing yourself as a volunteer and striking up a conversation about their experience at the Cincinnati Zoo. Volunteer B can do the same thing at the cart as guests approach. Doing the Activity: *When leading discussions, you want to encourage the guests to critically think, make educated guesses, and discover information with your guidance. Ask them guiding questions or create a scenario for them to think about and discuss. The information and message will more likely stick if they participate in their learning experience, not just receive a brain dump of information.* 1. A good introduction to the zone can be to point out the Zoo is also a Botanical Garden and take in the beautiful nearby gardens buzzing with activity of pollinators. Discuss what kinds of pollinators they see at work. Have them make observations of what the animals are doing and why they think they re doing it. 2. Discuss the process of pollination and why it is important to the ecosystem as a primary way plants reproduce. Ask them what they know about pollination and how it works? Discuss their favorite foods and why we need pollinators to help make those foods. 3. Ask guests if they would like to take action to help pollinators in their own backyards. One of the easiest ways is to plant something called milkweed which is exactly what monarch butterfly pollinators need to survive. This is the host plant caterpillars need! If they pledge to plant the seeds, they can have a packet of seeds to take home. Encourage them to take a pollinator selfie and encourage them to share the photo on social media! 4. If guests want to know more information about promoting and protecting pollinators, here are some suggestions: Cultivate native plants, especially those that provide nectar and larval food for pollinators. Install houses for bats and native bees Supply salt or mineral licks for butterflies and water for all wildlife Reduce pesticide use Substitute flower beds for lawns Ending the Activity: Find out if there is any more information they d like to know about pollinators. Make sure to remind guests about other cool places to visit or things to see while they are here! Find out what the guest is interested in and make an appropriate suggestion. Make sure to thank them for stopping by! 2015 WDZ Pollination 2

Part 2: The Process of Pollination Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from the anther (male part) to the pistel (female part) of the plant, thereby enabling fertilization and

3 Part 2: The Process of Pollination Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from the anther (male part) to the pistel (female part) of the plant, thereby enabling fertilization and reproduction. This takes place in the angiosperms, (angio- a vessel + sperm- a seed) the flower bearing plants. Pollination occurs when pollen is moved within flowers or carried from flower to flower by pollinating animals such as birds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, beetles, or other animals, or by the wind. The transfer of pollen in and between flowers of the same species leads to fertilization, and successful seed and fruit production for plants. Pollination ensures that a plant will produce full-bodied fruit and a full set of viable seeds. Part 3: The Importance of Pollination to People Worldwide, roughly 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, spices, and medicines need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend. Foods and beverages produced with the help of pollinators include: apples, blueberries, chocolate, coffee, melons, peaches, potatoes, pumpkins, vanilla, almonds, and tequila. In the United States, pollination by honey bees, native bees, and other insects produces $40 billion worth of products annually. Two out of every three bites of food we eat depends on pollinators around us! Pollinator Decline Worldwide there is disturbing evidence that pollinating animals have suffered from loss of habitat, chemical misuse, introduced and invasive plan and animal species, and diseases and parasites. Colony collapse disorder (CCD) in the U.S. has lost over 50% of its managed honeybee colonies over the past 10 years. The causes of colony collapse disorder are unclear, but pesticides, malnutrition, mites and habitat problems such as a lack of native flowers available all play a role in CCD WDZ Pollination 3

Part 4: Common Pollinators in the Tri-state Bees- Hymenoptera (hymen a membrane + ptera wing) are undoubtedly the most abundant pollinators of flowering plants in our environment.

the foods and beverages that we consume. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems.

However, many of our native bee pollinators are at risk, and the status of many more is unknown.

4 Part 4: Common Pollinators in the Tri-state Bees- Hymenoptera (hymen a membrane + ptera wing) are undoubtedly the most abundant pollinators of flowering plants in our environment. The service that bees and other pollinators provide allows nearly 70 percent of all flowering plants to reproduce; the fruits and seeds from insect pollinated plants account for over 30 percent of the foods and beverages that we consume. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25 percent of all birds, and of mammals ranging from red-backed voles to grizzly bears. However, many of our native bee pollinators are at risk, and the status of many more is unknown. Habitat loss, alteration, and fragmentation, pesticide use, and introduced diseases all contribute to declines of bees. While there are over 500 species of bees native to Ohio, a few species of larger bees can be seen regularly in the local garden, the honeybee, bumblebee, leaf-cutting bee and large mason bee. All bees have three body parts, the head, thorax and abdomen. The head is large with multi-faceted eyes, antennae and mouthparts. The thorax is the middle segment that holds the wings and legs. The abdomen ends in a stinger in female bees. Female bees have special pollen carrying hairs are on the legs resemble broom bristles which carry the pollen they gather and take back to the hive for food. A Few Common Bees of our Area Honey Bee - Light to dark brown body with pale and dark hairs in bands on abdomen. Pollen basket is present. Abdomen barrel shaped, heart shaped face. Colonies nest in man-made hives.. Bumble Bee Robust bee with black body and bright yellow hairs. Long face. Pollen baskets present. Often forages in cloudy weather when other bees are at home! Leaf-cutting Bee -Black body with dark hairs. Pollen carrying hairs beneath. Some have a pointy abdomen. Head is broad as the abdomen with large mouthparts for cutting leaves WDZ Pollination 4

Large Mason Bee- Black body with light or dark hairs. Pollen carrying hairs on rear legs. Similar body shape to bumble bees but abdomen shiny with no hairs. Round face.

Butterflies and Moths- Lepidoptera; (lepi-scale + ptera wing) Make up the order Lepidoptera, the fourth largest order of insects.

Butterflies are less efficient than bees at moving pollen between plants.

5 Large Mason Bee- Black body with light or dark hairs. Pollen carrying hairs on rear legs. Similar body shape to bumble bees but abdomen shiny with no hairs. Round face. Nests burrows in wood, often in the eaves of buildings and sheds. Flight is fast and erratic like a hummingbird. Butterflies and Moths- Lepidoptera; (lepi-scale + ptera wing) Make up the order Lepidoptera, the fourth largest order of insects. These animals are beautiful to observe and make a valuable contribution to the ecosystem. Butterflies are very active during the day and visit a variety of wildflowers. Butterflies are less efficient than bees at moving pollen between plants. Highly perched on their long thin legs, they do not pick up much pollen on their bodies and lack specialized structures for collecting it. Butterflies probe for nectar, their flight fuel, and typically favor the flat, clustered flowers that provide a landing pad Monarch on milkweed and abundant rewards. Butterflies have good vision but a weak sense of smell. Unlike bees, butterflies can see red. Beetles Coleoptera; (cole-sheath + ptera-wing) Beetles are the most diverse group of organisms in the world. Approximately for every one species of plant, animal, bacterium, or fungus that has been described there are four types of beetle. As might be expected in such a large group, beetles are quite diverse in color, shape, and ecological role. Long-horned flower beetle Flies - Diptera; (di-two + pter -a wing) With over eighty-five thousand species worldwide, flies form one of the most diverse orders of insects, Diptera. Although a number of these species are reviled as crop pests and carriers of disease, many are beneficial from the aquatic midges that serve as an abundant food source for migratory birds to the fly pollinators of apples, peppers, mangoes and cashews and many types of flowers. Flower fly 2015 WDZ Pollination 5

Hummingbirds- Our local ruby-throated hummingbird also plays the role of a pollinator. While moving from flower to flower to get their nectar meal they inadvertently move pollen at the same time.

6 Hummingbirds- Our local ruby-throated hummingbird also plays the role of a pollinator. While moving from flower to flower to get their nectar meal they inadvertently move pollen at the same time. Vertebrate pollinators are more common in the tropics which include bats, tree dwelling opossums, sunbirds and other lesser known small mammals and birds. Ruby throated hummingbird Part 5: Milkweed for Monarchs Monarchs cannot survive without milkweed. Monarch caterpillars need milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.) to grow and develop, and female monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on milkweed. With shifting land management practices, we have lost much milkweed from the landscape. We will encourage our guests to plant milkweed to support monarch populations, and their incredible migration! Planting milkweed is a great way to help other pollinators too, as milkweed provides nectar resources to a diverse suite of bees and butterflies. Zone Set-up: Assign one person as Volunteer A and one person as Volunteer B. Feel free to switch roles as often as you both like throughout your shift. Volunteer A should be positioned farther away from the cart to engage visitors in conversation and direct them towards Volunteer B. Volunteer B will be stationed at the cart with the activity materials. Make sure you count guest attendance during your shift. Zone Clean-up: Put all materials inside the cart. Record your attendance on the attendance sheet and make a note if any materials are missing. Please report any cart issues on the clipboard in the volunteer room WDZ Pollination 6

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden Why are Pollinators Important? Pollinators are nearly as important as sunlight, soil and water to the reproductive success of over 75%