Plan
- What materials will you need for this activity?
- How will you find out how to make natural pesticides?
- Where can you find out more about the Cheetos® experiment?
Do
- What are the pollinators in your area? What is their role in our ecosystem?
- Find out how pollinators move pollen from one place to another, by playing the pollination game.
- Give each bee (or team of bees) a flower with pompoms on it and place another flower of the same colour across the room.
- They must pick up the pompoms one at a time and deliver them to their flower across the room.
- For an added challenge, assign some people to be pesticides! If a pesticide touches a bee, the bee must return to their side of the room and try again.
- Find out how pesticides can threaten pollinators and try making some alternatives for your home garden.
Review
- What do you know now that you did not know before?
- How can you share what you’ve discovered with others?
- What impact do pollinators have on our world?
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Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map
Keep it Simple
- Be a friend to the bees: create drinking bowls for real pollinators by putting out a small dish of water with rocks in it so they can stop for a sip!
- What are some other ways that pollinators may be hurt in your community? Brainstorm some ways to help them!
Take it Further
- Connect with a local beekeeper to find out about beehives and beekeepers (apiarists), how to make honey, and how to protect the bees! Urban beekeeping is one way that city dwellers can help to protect bees. Best of all, it’s an interesting practice with a sweet reward! Check to see if there are urban beehives on roofs in your community and help expand this project to other buildings near you.