Greenville County Soil & Water Conservation District 2015 Essay Contest Did you know that about 75% of all flowering plant species need the help of animals to move their heavy pollen grains from plant to plant for fertilization? Our local pollinators are hardworking heroes! Often we may not notice the hummingbirds, bats, bees, beetles, butterflies, and flies that carry pollen from one plant to another as they collect nectar. Yet without them, wildlife would have fewer nutritious berries and seeds, and we would miss many fruits, vegetables, and nuts, like blueberries, squash, and almonds . . . not to mention chocolate and coffee…all of which depend on pollinators! Opento5th‐8thgradestudents EssayContestRules:        The essay topic for this year is “Local Heroes, Your Hardworking Pollinators” Contest is open to any Greenville County student in 5th – 8th grade or equivalent. Essay length: o 350‐400 words for 5th & 6th graders o 600‐750 words for 7th & 8th graders Essays must be typed or hand written (in ink) on one side of the paper Punctuation and grammar count! Make sure your essay is double checked for errors! You MUST have a TITLE page as your first page with the following information: student name; home mailing address; name of school; name of teacher; and grade level Essay should address any or all (or a combination) of the following: o What is a pollinator? o Why are pollinators important? o How do pollinators affect my life? o What types of animals are pollinators? o Discuss different types of pollination. o What types of plants depend on pollinators? o What can we do to help pollinators to thrive? 3 awards in each grade level‐ $50 cash prize per student Special “thank you” gifts for teachers of award winners Deadline: 4:30 PM on Monday, March 23, 2015 Pleasemailorhand‐deliverentriesto: Essay Contest Greenville Soil & Water Conservation District 301 University Ridge, Ste. 4800 Greenville, SC 29601 Questions about the essay or contest? Contact Lynn Pilewski at 864‐467‐2755 ext.103 or [email protected] AdditionalResources Pollinator Partnership What is a pollination/pollinator? Why are pollinators important to us? Types of pollinators http://www.pollinator.org/Resources/What%20is%20a%20pollinator.pdf Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation: http://www.xerces.org/pollinator‐conservation/ Fact Sheets: http://www.xerces.org/fact‐sheets/ USDA NRCS Pollinators and Plants http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate/ USDA Forest Service Pollinator Resources http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/ Pollinator Live Lesson Plans and Resources http://pollinatorlive.pwnet.org/teacher/lessons.php