Pollinator Education

Pollinator Education Programs

Denise Ellsworth, Program Director of Pollinator Education, provides numerous education and outreach programs on topics related to honey bees, wild bees and other pollinators. Latest workshops, webinar recordings and extensive pollinator education materials available at the link below!

Pollinator Education Program Details

Program Highlight: Beneficial Insects 101

The daylong Beneficial Insects 101 workshop was sponsored by OSU Entomology in October 2024, offered in Wooster and Columbus. This session was targeted to OSU Master Gardeners and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalists, with over 60 participants attending at each location. Participants learned natural history, identification characteristics and habitat/conservation needs of common beneficial insects. Topics included Ohio butterflies and moths, beneficial predatory insects, and Ohio bees. The workshop was taught by Denise Ellsworth (Entomology), Ashley Kulhanek (OSU Extension, Medina County) and Marne Titchenell (OSU School of Environment and Natural Resources).

Plant By Numbers Guides

Plants, growing steps, and a sample design to support native pollinators. Click images for full PDF handout, or beelab site: u.osu.edu/plantbynumbers
Thanks to a USDA IPM grant, the pollinator health team (Denise Ellsworth and Mary Gardiner) launched the Plant by Numbers program in Ohio to educate gardeners about the use and importance of native perennials to pollinators. Three garden themes were unveiled: Specialist Bees, Bumble Bees, and Butterflies and Moths. Each theme includes a garden design, a plant list and growing instructions, all detailed in a full-color handout. In May 2023, planting kits (plants, handouts, and signage) were distributed to 80 education/demonstration sites across the state, many coordinated by or in cooperation with county offices of OSU Extension. Three additional themes will be launched in spring 2024.