D3243: Engaging educators with pollinator education toolkits

Native pollinators are important for crop production and ecosystem health. Declines have led to increased awareness with, 87% of Minnesotans concerned about pollinator decline. Public education is in higher demand than can be met by pollinator educators like the University of Minnesota Bee Squad, Minnesota Bee Atlas, Monarch Joint Venture, and Pollinate Minnesota with more than 350 requests each year across the entire state. We addressed this imbalance between interest and capacity by creating a Pollinator Education Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to engage the public and lead to action steps to conserve native pollinators. Experts from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab and the Monarch Joint Venture provided content. We designed the toolkits to be primarily self-explanatory, so any interested party can engage the public in pollinator conservation actions. Both physical and digital toolkits are available. Digital components and video instructions on toolkit use make the toolkits accessible to a global audience. The University of Minnesota Pollinator Education Toolkits have engaged new audiences, expanded the geographic scope of educational efforts, increased accessibility, and inspired new pollinator conservation projects.