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Overview

Pollinators are an accessible and easy-to-understand gateway to the larger natural world. You can explore the role of pollinators in virtually any landscape and share the ecology of these fascinating animals with youth and community groups of any age and any background. Learn to identify the common groups of pollinators in your region, contribute to grassroots science, and become a community leader by sharing the pollinator conservation message. 

Learn About Invertebrates

Invertebrates are a part of every ecosystem on Earth, they are truly the “little things that run the world”. Learn more about invertebrates, including profiles of endangered and at-risk species and their unique conservation needs.

Who Are the Pollinators?

While birds, bats, and even some mammals function as pollinators, it’s the insects that do the bulk of the pollination that affects our daily lives. Find out more about the main groups of insect pollinators.

Contribute to Community Science Efforts

Every day community scientists are participating in a variety of projects that are contributing meaningful data to inform conservation. Community science projects are also a great way to guide classroom exploration. Explore the many projects available and get involved!

Browse our Publications Library

We produce dozens of publications annually on a variety of subjects related to invertebrate conservation. Fact sheets, brochures, guidelines, and more are available in our Publications Library.

Recommended Reading

Looking for more great reads to help you make conservation happen? We’ve partnered with Powell’s City of Books to provide you with a recommended reading list of our favorite books. Click here to see what we’re reading. 

Additional Resources on the Web

Below are related resources from around the web we've found useful.

 

Please note we are not responsible for content on external sites. Dead link? Something we should add? Let us know.

 

From the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access. In this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom, students learn about the parts of flowers (and the parts of bees) and the symbiotic relationship behind pollination. Lesson plans introduce the role bees play in the production of many of our foods— including some surprising food!
Many people are confused about the difference between a bee and a wasp, and most people don't realize that some flies look very much like a bee or wasp. Here is a group identification exercise that I do when I’m asked to speak to master gardeners, older kids, and other groups about bees and pollination.