It's late spring in the North Country, and the hills are alive with the sounds of birds and bees doing that important job - pollination. Last week Nature Up North joined Colton-Pierreont Central School's Earth Week Celebration, where pollination is the theme of this year's festivities. We challenged 1st-6th grade students to act out the story of pollination through a hands-on relay game, and enjoyed watching the students transform into birds and butterflies as they raced from flower to flower.

Student pollinators race to earn nectar as a reward for pollinating flowers during the relay activity. Nature Up North Summer Naturalist Interns Maya Williams and Molly McMasters act as flowers, distributing nectar and pollen to each student.

Oh no! Part-way through pollination, students have to crawl or hop between flowers because a pesticide spray limits their ability to pollinate. Encouraging biodiversity by planting a variety of native plants in your garden can help limit the number of pests - and the need to use chemical pesticides.

The students all brought great ideas and enthusiasm, and loved learning that some of their favorite local fruits and vegetables are made possible through the hard work of pollinators!  Every time we bite into an apple, take a sip of lemonade, or savor the flavor of fresh strawberries, we have a pollinator to thank. We're glad to know there are young naturalists out in our community who can help us spread the news.  

Many thanks to all the teachers and students at Colton-Pierrepont who made this event possible. We had a blast participating in Earth Week this year, and are already looking forward to the next one.  

Interested in bringing more pollinators into your backyard? Check our this great blog article by Samantha Haab on Planting a Pollinator-Friendly Garden.