"Pollinator Superheroes" Provides a Fun and Innovative Way to Educate Youth
Youth can learn about pollinators through "Pollinator Superheroes,” an animated series created for Native American elementary students in Nebraska and Oklahoma. It is supported by the New Technologies in Ag Extension program (NTAE).
Pollinator Superheroes is more than just a cartoon. The series aims to:
- Inspire young viewers by getting them excited about identifying and protecting crucial pollinators.
- Celebrate culture by reinforcing the importance of students' actions, cultures, and native languages. It empowers youth to see themselves as heroes in protecting their environment and heritage.
Many younger generations in tribal communities lack opportunities to learn their heritage languages outside the home. The project addresses this critical issue, through partnerships with several organizations.
The Project is Growing and Evolving
The Pollinator Superheroes project began in late 2019 with a partnership between the National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC) and Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) to create a "Prep for Pollinators Campaign" for children and adults. The project expanded in 2020 with seasonal pollinator guides for the PVAMU and Pawnee Nation College (PNC) communities.
Animation took flight in 2021 and 2022. NPSEC, collaborating with Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC), secured last year's NTAE Year 4 Expansion Grant to create Episode 1 of "Pollinator Superheroes: The Beginning."
With support from NICC, PNC, PVAMU, and the St. Louis Zoo, KJM Digital produced Episode 1, a 20-minute episode centered around Nate, a fourth grader who enlists the help of four pollinators – Bat, Bumblebee, Hover Fly, and Monarch – to save his neighborhood from a misguided developer. Through the adventures of their animated friends, youth learn the crucial role they play in protecting pollinators while simultaneously being introduced to the Dakota language. The episode will be translated into other languages if more funding becomes available.
A through line for the project over the years has been Kara Maddox, who owns KJM Digital and serves as the lead for this year’s project, as a partner with Michigan State University. She emphasized the importance of the work, saying,
“Sometimes we forget the importance of nature in urban and suburban environments. Our goal for the project is to help kids learn the importance of pollinators through dynamic stories and characters by building a connection to nature in their home communities.”
Branching Out
A new round of NTAE funding is enabling the project team to expand its reach.
Through a partnership with the University of Georgia Extension and Dr. Allison Johnson (liaison to the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns and the Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Council), the team is bringing the Pollinator Superheroes project to communities in the southern United States. Dr. Johnson is the voice of Bat in Episode 1, and is leading the native seeds initiative, which is described below. A partnership with Michigan State University Extension and Tribal Educator Emily Proctor will help establish the project in the Upper Great Lakes region.
Nate's Next Adventure - Planting a Pollinator Paradise
Episode 2 - due out in the fall - picks up with the inquisitive fourth grader, Nate. Nate faces a new challenge in his native community. Once again, his pollinator pals are there to help by planting one seed at a time.
The project team is committed to making the project even more inclusive. Episode 2 will feature a translation into the Cherokee language, joining the existing Dakota language version. The episode will also showcase exciting advancements in animation technology, using Adobe's Character Animator with Body Tracker, powered by Adobe Sensei AI, which allows for real-time animation and smoother, more fluid movement for the characters.
Episode 2 also inspires action. To help young viewers put their newfound knowledge to work, the team is giving away native seed packets – perfect for planting on Earth Day! To receive seeds, scan the QR code below, directing you to the YouTube page, which has information on how to order the seeds. Maddox says, “We're living at a tipping point and children need a role model they can count on - even if he's a cartoon superhero! In Episode 2, Nate and his pollinators save his community by planting one seed at a time. We can do this at home with our native seed packets to help our pollinators as they help us.”
Connect and Learn More
- Subscribe to the team’s new Pollinator Superheroes YouTube page.
- Learn more about the project by reading the Pollen Power feature article in the 2023 NTAE Yearbook.
- Share and Scan the QR code to learn how to order a native seed packet to create a pollinator-friendly habitat in your community. The QR code will take you to Episode 1 on Youtube. Click 'more' under the title to order free native seeds.
- Have questions about the project? Please email the team at PollinatorSuperheroes2@gmail.com
This project is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation.
Discover more about NTAE-supported work and find additional resources in the 2022-2023 NTAE Yearbook and in the Extension Foundation’s publications library.
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