Pollinators are amazing animals! Let's get this initiative started with some buzzworthy facts. 

What is pollination? 

1. Pollination is the transfer of pollen from a male part (anther) of a plant's flower to the female part (stigma). This aids the reproduction of plants and as a result, ensures the creation of seeds.
2. There are a few different types of pollination, including wind pollination where the pollen is blown in the wind to other plants (this type of pollination can give some people allergies!), water pollination in which pollen is transferred through water currents and animal pollination, when pollen is transferred by an animal visiting flowers, such as monarch butterflies.

General Pollinator Facts

1. There are over 1 000 species of pollinators in Canada including bees, butterflies, beetles, flies, hummingbirds and much more! Although there are pollinating bats in other parts of the world, Canada does not have any pollinating mammals.​​
2. Many pollinators eat nectar produced by flowers while others seek pollen, often to feed their young. When a pollinator goes to collect nectar or pollen, excess pollen gets stuck to the animal. When they move onto the next flower, some of the pollen is left on the flower. 
3. Honeybees are native to Eurasia and are not considered to be native pollinators. However, they do produce honey and provide jobs for many Canadians. ​
4. Some animals pollinate by accident, such as pollen getting caught on the fur of a cow and being transferred. However, to be considered a "pollinating animal" they must actively seek nectar or pollen. 
5. Pollinator populations are declining in Canada due to habitat loss, pesticide use, increased disease and climate change.
6. Native plants and pollinators have evolved together over thousands of years. A great way to encourage pollinators in your area is to grow native flowering plants. 

A bee pollinating butterfly milkweed.

Monarch butterfly.

Viceroy butterflies mimic monarchs.

Monarchs

1. There are two Canadian monarch populations, one on the west coast and the other east of the Rocky mountains. Western monarchs travel to California in late summer or early fall to escape the cold winter while the eastern monarch travels from southern Canada and the eastern US to Mexico for the winter.
2. ​Eastern monarchs travel about 4 000 km to 5 000 km one way. They return to Canada in the spring, usually beginning their journey in March and arriving by June.
3. Monarchs have four life stages: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and butterfly (adult).
4. Monarchs butterflies live two to six weeks, except for the last generation of the year, which migrate to the south and overwinter, who live six to eight months.
5. It can take four to five generations of monarchs to complete the spring migration from the south of the continent back to Canada.
6. Monarch caterpillars only feed on milkweed plants. They eat for approximately 10 to 14 days before going into a chrysalis.
7. Monarch butterflies weigh under 1 gram and have a 7 cm to 10 cm wingspan.
8. Their populations have declined by about 90% since the 1990's.
9. Viceroy butterflies look very similar to monarchs but have a straight black line along the veins of their back wings whereas monarchs do not have this line.

Map of monarch migration by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Visit xerces.org for more information.

Importance of Pollinators

1. Pollinators benefit about 75% of the world's food crops in some way. Everything from blueberries to cucumbers need pollinators. 
2. They also pollinate beautiful garden flowers. 
3. Canada has a very complex food web and pollinators are essential to it's biodiversity. Many of Canada's native plants rely on pollinators for reproduction. These plants are needed for other Canadian animals to survive.
4. Pollinators are food for other animals such as birds and small mammals.

Look at those pollen grains!