More than 85 percent of flowering plants require an insect for pollination, which allows for fruit and seed production. These fruits and seeds are a part of the diet of about 25 percent of birds and many mammals. Each year pollinators affect $577 billion in global crops, including $235 billion in the United States. Native bees pollinate an estimated 15 percent of U.S fruit, nut, vegetable, and field crops.

Planting a pollinator garden doesn’t have to be a big undertaking. Any size is excellent. From window and patio planters to home gardens, to pathways and roadsides, to acres of prairies and meadows - all can support pollinator populations. Besides the usual habitat elements, food, water, shelter, and a place to raise young, pollinator habitats have some specific qualities.

● Use plants that provide nectar and pollen sources;

● Be situated in sunny areas with windbreaks;

● Create “pollinator targets” of native and non-invasive plants;

● Establish continuous bloom throughout the growing season; and

● Eliminate or minimize the impact of pesticides.

Like all insects, a bee’s body is divided into three parts: a head with two antennae, a thorax with six legs, and an abdomen. All bees have branched hairs somewhere on their bodies and two pairs of wings. Only female bees have stingers. Many bee species have black and yellow coloration, but many do not—they come in various colors, including green, blue, red, or black. Some are striped, and some even have a metallic sheen. They range in size from large carpenter bees and bumblebees to the tiny Perdita minima bee, which is less than two millimeters long.

There are over 20,000 bee species worldwide, including the honey bee, which originated in Eurasia and has been imported worldwide as a domesticated species. Wild bee species live on every continent except Antarctica. In North America, there are approximately 4,000 native bee species occupying ecosystems from forests to deserts to grasslands. Bees feed exclusively on sugary nectar and protein-rich pollen from flowering plants, unlike the predatory wasps from which they evolved. As they forage, bees perform the critical act of pollination. Bees pollinate a staggering 80 percent of all flowering plants, including approximately 75% percent of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown in the United States. Though all female bees can sting, they only do so when threatened.

Unlike the hive-forming domesticated honey bee or wild bumble bee species, most bees are solitary nesters. They don’t form hives, create honey, or live a communal lifestyle. Instead, they lay their eggs in a series of tiny chambers in tunnels in the ground, hollow plant stems, or decaying wood.

Raccoons live throughout the continental United States in woods, wetlands, suburbs, parks, cities, and anywhere there is cover, food, and water. Predators of raccoons include the coyote, fisher, bobcat, red fox, and great horned owl.

Raccoons are omnivores, meaning they will eat both meat and vegetables. They like grasshoppers, nuts, berries, mice, squirrels, and bird eggs. They are nocturnal and search for food at night. Raccoons are opportunistic feeders and are well known by people for their skillful attempts at stealing food from garbage cans in parks and neighborhoods.

Raccoons can get food that other animals cannot because they have nimble, almost hand-like paws that can grasp tree branches, nuts, fruits, and even the lids of garbage cans.

Raccoons are solitary, except during the breeding season, which occurs from January to June. Females usually have one litter a year, with three to seven offspring per litter.

Plants and animals in your neighborhood or community are essential to its health and resilience. There are numerous benefits from beautification to critical habitat for migratory birds. Taking time to observe and work with nature gives an appreciation for the role they play in a healthy ecosystem - an ecosystem we impact with our actions. As a part of a community, it’s important to know what wildlife and plant life need for survival and learn from local agencies and non-profit organizations how to protect wildlife and become a better nature steward. Remember each action we take has an impact on the environment. Our small actions add up and have a ripple effect on the delicate web of life.

In this activity, we focus on weather and climate. Children commonly misinterpret these words as interchangeable terms. These terms, while related, are different.

Weather is what we experience on a daily basis. It helps us decide what we should wear the next day or bring on an upcoming getaway next week. Weather is a prediction based on various data collected in multiple ways, from ground stations to radars. Weather maps are created to help us understand what to expect based on meteorologists’ evidence (people who study weather).

On the other hand, the climate allows us to see long-term patterns in weather data collected over time — a long period of time. A long time concerning climate is a minimum of thirty years. Climate can tell us many things, from seasonal information and planting zones to increases in global temperatures or carbon dioxide.

A pollinator is anything that helps carry pollen from the male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the same or another flower (stigma). Over 100,000 invertebrates—including bees, butterflies, beetles, moths, wasps, and flies — and more than a thousand mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians take on the job of pollinating plants. This biodiverse group of wildlife buzzes, flutters, and creeps from plant to plant, dining on protein-rich pollen and high-energy nectar. As they move, they transport and deposit pollen, fertilizing plants and allowing those plants to reproduce.