Welcome to Pollinator Conservation Education

Over a decade ago, the U.S. National Research Council referred to the global decline in the number and viability of animal species that facilitate reproduction of flowering plants as a “pollinator crisis.” At risk are about three-quarters of the world’s flowering plants that rely on pollinators. They warned that ignoring equates to exacerbating this crisis.

Since that time efforts have been made to educate agricultural producers, and pesticide applicators of the perils imposed by certain agriculture techniques and management practices, however, because they have not been made aware, the broader segments of society still have minimal appreciation for insect pollinators nor are they aware of the threat pollinators are under.

If pollinator protection programs are to be effective and sustainable, the general public, and youth in particular, must be educated so that they too, can join in the pollinator conservation movement. Innovative teachers can become effective agents of change within communities as they influence what and how students learn.

We hope that the creation and development of this website will help facilitate such pollinator conservation learning and implementation. ~ Tim Gibb and Christian Oseto ~

How To Measure Impact

Learning is the first step in transitioning students into active ambassadors of a program. What students DO because of what they have learned is the essence of impact. Transferring learning from knowledge gained into attitudinal change, then into motivational drive ultimately becomes actions, which is the impact objective of this program.

Measuring impact can be done by recording the results of a specially designed series of challenges. The 14 badges developed for this program contain challenges that help students DO and then REPORT ON in various ways.

A vehicle that we used to facilitate badge issuing and reporting is Passport and is described on the Badge Challenge page. Some teachers prefer other methods. Regardless of the method, the ultimate goal is to provide students with concrete and measurable activities that will move them from simply learners to become doers.

Teachers have requested that the electronic lists from the badge challenges page be made available in pdf form to allow downloading and printing to makes them easier to deliver as homework assignments and for discussion in classes or laboratories. Whatever method works best for you as teachers is encouraged. Feel free to modify and employ the challenges below in any way that fits your teaching style.