WHAT? An engaging science education project for children will be offered this Spring through the Buncombe County 4H Program in coordination with Bee City USA, a program of the Center for Honeybee Research, which encourages city leaders to celebrate and raise awareness of the contribution bees and other pollinators make to our world.
WHO? Budding 7 to 13-year-old naturalists will get up close and personal with hardworking bumble bees, mason bees, honey bees, orchard bees, hummingbirds, moths, beetles and butterflies—the tiny critters that make 87% of the world’s plants bloom, reproduce, and make food for humans and animals.
WHEN AND WHERE? Project will span several weeks starting the end of April and ending in late June. Most activity will be Internet-based with weekly pollinator observation and reporting at
www.beecityusa.org interactive website.
The 4H program will host an initial orientation for families on April 25th from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at the downtown Cooperative Extension office at 94 Coxe Avenue. During National Pollinator Week (beginning June 16), a final gathering will celebrate local pollinators, the bounty of flowers and the achievement of each budding naturalist with a “Pollinator Gazer” certificate.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN: Families will learn about the importance of pollination and its agents. They will receive instructions on how to do field observation in their own backyards. They will also receive flowering plants to take home as the basis for their weekly field online reports.
WHAT YOU Will NEED: A sunny spot for planting a couple flowers in your backyard, in flowerpots, or another location; regular email access; and weekly access to the Internet. The ability to take and send digital pictures will be a plus and a printer may be helpful.