This video was filmed on Thursday, June 23nd at the 2011 National Geographic Explorers Symposium at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Introduction
Do you like chocolate? Coffee? Pollinating insects make these and hundreds of other foods possible. The threatened habitats that support those insects may often be out of sight and out of mind, but Dino Martins brings their importance home. “Pollinators are one of the strongest connections between conservation and something everyone needs—food.” With his infectious enthusiasm and practical solutions, Martins acts as a pollinator himself, carrying crucial information to Kenya’s isolated farmers, schoolchildren, and a larger world of travelers and scientists.

Outline

• Entomology and insects running the world (start-01:13 min.)

• A dark time for biodiversity (01:14-02:06 min.)

• African sketches and human interaction with nature (02:07-03:24 min.)

• Bee diversity and importance (03:25-06:41 min.)

• Stingless bees and the loss of traditional knowledge (06:42-07:49 min.)

• Pollination, food, and insects (07:50-08:27 min.)

• Field sites in Kenya (08:28-10:04 min.)

• The African violet and buzz pollination (10:05-12:14 min.)

• Nature Kenya's centennial and celebratory stamps (12:15-13:02 min.)

• Western Africa's Kerio Valley and the pollination of papaya and mango (13:03-15:33 min.)

• The importance of diversity and video footage of an African farm (15:34-17:10 min.)

• Working with children, students, and guides (17:11-19:35 min.)

Strategies for Using Video in a Variety of Learning Environments

• Have students preview several of the videos and choose the one they find most inspiring. Have students describe in writing a conversation they might have with the speaker(s).

• Freeze the video on a relevant image. Have students observe details in the still image and jot down predictions of what the full video might address. Discuss students’ ideas before and after watching the video.

• Pose an open-ended question before students watch the video, and have them discuss their ideas before and after in small groups.

• Have students determine what they think the key message of this video is. Was the speaker effective in getting his or her message across?

• Show a short clip to engage students during class, and then have students watch the full video at home and write a paragraph responding to the content or a question you give them.

• Have students note statements that represent facts or opinions, including where it’s difficult to tell the difference. What further research might help distinguish facts and opinions? How might the speaker’s viewpoint compare with others’ viewpoints about a topic?