Success Story4-H Pollinator Pals



4-H Pollinator Pals

Author: Blake Newton

Planning Unit: Entomology

Major Program: Natural Resources

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

In late 2011, news came from the National 4-H Council of a grant opportunity related to pollinator education. With less than a month to prepare, Ashley Osborne (4-H Youth Development State Extension Specialist) and I worked together to write, submit, and receive the grant. The $15,000, one-year grant focuses on teen leadership: with the help of county 4-H agents, we selected 10 4-H teens from around the state to become Pollinator Ambassadors. Their job is to educate younger youth about the importance of pollinator habitat and to build pollinator gardens. Since Jan 2022, our teens (who elected to call themselves the 4-H Pollinator Pals) have educated over 150 youth about pollinators and have built one pollinator garden in Clark Co. The teens also received 6 hours of training related to pollinators and pollinator habitat. In addition, the grant paid for 8 of the teens to attend the 2022 4-H Ag Summit in Washington, DC. As the year continues, the Pals are already planning more educational presentations, including at St. Fair, and are planning to install two more pollinator gardens (Fayette and Kenton counties) before the end of 2022. 






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