The Power of Pollinators

Title: The Power of Pollinators
Description: Learn how to make your very own seed paper and become an aid in pollination.
Season: Anytime
Length of Activity: 2 hours
Age: 6-adult
Button: Start the Activity

The Power of Pollinators

Did you know that 1 out of every 3 bites of food that we eat relies on a pollinator?

What is a pollinator? Well, it’s anything that helps carry pollen from the male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the same or another flower (stigma).

It’s that movement of pollen that is responsible for fertilizing and producing fruits, seeds, and other young plants. And while wind and water play an important role in pollination, key pollinators such as bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, birds, flies and other small animals like bats are responsible for most of our food production.

Not only are pollinators an important part of food production, they are also a fundamental part of the ecosystem, helping to stabilize our soils, keep our air clean and support our wildlife.

Inside this activity you will learn how to make your very own seed paper and become a fundamental helper in the power of pollination.

Supplies and Tools needed:
● Scrap paper such as office paper, envelopes (remove any plastic windows), colored paper, and uncoated gift wrap. No newspaper.
● Wooden frame (build your own or use an old picture frame)
● Window screening (you’ll need one pieces that’s slightly larger than the frame, and several smaller pieces)
● Staple gun and staples (for tacking screen to frame)
● Blender (for making pulp)
● Old towels and/or large rags (to soak up water)
● Sponges
● A rolling pin
● Flower seeds (We would recommend seeds from one of the flowers that appear on this poster))

Getting started

Step 1: Before you begin, take a look at this poster of the most common pollinator attractors. Do you recognize any of them? Do you have a favorite? What do you notice about them?

Step 2: Making paper can be a messy task so be sure to either cover your counters and tables with plastic or work in a space that doesn’t matter if it gets wet and dirty. Make sure you have plenty of towels and rags ready in case you need to clean something quickly.

Step 3: Tear all your gathered paper into small, 1 inch square pieces (approximately).

Step 4: Place your pieces of paper in warm water and let them soak for at least 2 hours.

Step 5: While your paper is soaking you can make the mold! Take your frame and the biggest piece of screen. You will want your screen to be a bit bigger than your frame. Staple one corner of the screen to the backside of the frame and then stretch the screen so that it is tight as you continue stapling the screen until it is firmly secured on all 4 sides.

Step 6: Set your frame aside and when your paper is good and soggy, transfer it to your blender. Be sure that the amount of paper is completely submerged in water. The consistency you are looking for is like cooked oatmeal.

Step 7: Placing several rags and towels under the frame that you stapled your screen to, transfer your paper pulp onto the center of the screen.

Step 8: use your smaller piece of screen and place it on top of your pulp, using your hands to push it down, squeezing the excess water from the paper. Use your sponge here to help absorb the water.

Step 9: Once you have flattened your paper pulp and squeezed as much water from it as possible, remove the small screen and sprinkle your seeds on top of the damp pulp.

Step 10: Again placing the small screen on top of the pulp, now with seeds on top, use a rolling pin to embed the seeds into the paper pulp and set aside to dry.

Step 11: When it is time to plant, spritz it with water to moisten the paper and place it in a pot on top of the soil. Use plastic wrap to keep the moisture inside and aid in the germination process. Within a few days your flowers should be sprouting and you can uncover, move or transplant them to your garden.

Taking it Deeper

You may already know this but nature is amazing! Every flower attracts a certain pollinator, but it isn’t necessarily because of their color or smell. There is a biological explanation for why some pollinators are attracted to certain flowers. Tune into this episode of Scishow Kids to learn more.

Further Reading
Because pollination and pollinators is a really big topic, rather than just suggesting one or two books we’ve decided to share with you an entire list of books you can check out from your public library or purchase at your local bookstore.

Further Watching
Here is a breathtaking video on the beauty of pollination and if you are still a little unclear about the parts of a flower, this is a gem of a video.