[Upbeat music plays]

Text reads, “TVOkids” and “Fifth Ground Entertainment” “Original.”

Child says, WEE!

[Giggling]

Text reads, “Leo’s Pollinators.”

An animated bee flies over the text. [Buzzing]

Leo, a blue and orange animated fish, says,
IT'S ME, LEO! THE EXPLORER
CLUB IS ON A NEW MISSION.

Text reads, “Leo’s Pollinators.” “TVOkids Presents.”

[Upbeat music plays, whooshing]

Leo says, WE'RE HELPING THE
POLLINATORS, THOSE AMAZING
CREATURES WHO MOVE POLLEN
FROM ONE PLANT TO ANOTHER.

POLLEN IS THE STUFF THAT HELPS
MAKE OUR FRUITS, VEGETABLES
AND FLOWERS.

WITHOUT OUR POLLINATORS
FLYING, BUZZING, SLITHERING
AROUND, WE'D ALL BE GOING
HUNGRY, EVEN ME!

[Whooshing, buzzing]

Leo says, HOUSTEN AND CHLOE ARE
IN THE FIELD HELPING THE EXPERTS,
SO GRAB YOUR BOOTS AND YOUR NET,
AND YOU CAN BE A POLLINHEAD, TOO.

Text reads, “Leo’s Pollinators. Explorer Club.”

Leo says, TODAY ALL OF YOU
POLLINHEADS ARE IN FOR A
REAL TREAT.

WE'RE GETTING A CLOSE UP
LOOK AT ONE OF THE MOST
UNUSUAL POLLINATORS YET.

[Click]

A photograph shows Leo in a yellow and black striped bee costume.

Leo says, OOH! SORRY,
THAT'S MY LEO-THE-BEE
HALLOWEEN COSTUME.
I STILL NEED TO GET THE
WINGS JUST RIGHT.

BUT WHO I'M REALLY TALKING
ABOUT TODAY IS NONE OTHER
THAN ONTARIO'S ONLY NATIVE
LIZARD, THE FIVE-LINED SKINK!

Text beneath a green and cream striped lizard reads, “Five-Lined Skink.”

Leo says, JUST LOOK AT THEIR
DISTINCTIVE GLOSSY BLACK BODY
WITH FIVE CREAM STRIPES DOWN
THEIR BACK, AND THEIR STUNNING
BRIGHT BLUE TAIL, FOUND
IN JUVENILES.

THEIR NATURAL HABIT EXTENDS
SOUTH FROM ONTARIO, ALL THE
WAY DOWN TO TEXAS. THEY'RE
KNOWN AS ACCIDENTAL POLLINATORS.

[Popping, clicking]

An echo repeats, ACCIDENTAL
POLLINATOR!

Text reads, “Accidental Pollinator.”

Leo says, WHILE OUT LOOKING
FOR THEIR FAVOURITE SNACK,
BUGS, THEY END UP GETTING
POLLEN STUCK ON THEM.

SO WHEN THEY GO TO THE
NEXT FLOWER THAT HAS A
TASTY BUG ON IT, THEY
TRANSFER THE POLLEN.

[Whoosh]

Leo says, THE POLLINHEADS MISSION
TODAY INVOLVES HELPING THE TEAM
FROM POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK
TO SURVEY THE POPULATION BY
CHECKING ON NESTING SKINKS.

KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THESE
GUYS IS SUPER IMPORTANT.

A log slowly rolls off eggs and a skink.

Leo says, THEY'RE AN ENDANGERED
SPECIES, AND BY KEEPING TRACK OF
THEM, WE HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE
TO PREVENT THEIR EXTINCTION.

SO LET'S GET SKINKING!

Chloe wears her red hair in a ponytail, sticking through a hole in the back of her white ball cap. She wears a bright green tee-shirt with a Leo’s Pollinators logo on the front. Housten wears a bright blue Leo’s Pollinators shirt. He wears a wide-brimmed blue hat over his black hair.

Chloe says, READY AND REPORTING
FOR SKINK DUTY.

Two women stand together. One woman wears her brown hair in a ponytail. A woman wears her blonde hair in a ponytail. Text beneath the brown-haired woman reads, “Christina. Point Pelee National Park. Biologist.”

Christina says, WE ARE SO GLAD
THAT YOU COULD JOIN US
ON THE COSTAL DUNE AT
POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK.

[Waves crash, branches rustle]

Christina says, ONE OF THE MANY
INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT
FIVE-LINED SKINKS IS THAT
THEY ARE AN INDICATOR SPECIES.

SO IF THEIR POPULATION IS DOING
WELL, THEN THEIR HABITAT WOULD
BE DOING WELL.

Housten says, AND THAT MUST MEAN
THEY SHOW US WHAT'S HEALTHY
FOR US.

[Whoosh]

Christina says, ABSOLUTELY.
EVERYTHING IN THE ENVIRONMENT
IS CONNECTED, TO THE PLANTS,
TO THE ANIMALS, TO US.

Chloe says, I HAVE A QUESTION.
AREN'T SKINKS ACTUALLY
SALAMANDERS?

Text beneath the woman with the blonde hair reads, “Melanie. Point Pelee National Park. Junior Biologist.”

She says, SALAMANDERS ARE
ACTUALLY AMPHIBIANS, LIKE
FROGS, ISN'T THAT WEIRD?

SKINKS ARE ACTUALLY REPTILES,
SO THEY HAVE SCALES, CLAWS,
AND EXTERNAL EAR OPENINGS.

THAT MAKES THEM LIZARDS
IN THE REPTILE FAMILY.

Text beneath a photograph of a skink reads, “Skink (Reptile).” Text beneath a photograph of a frog reads, “Frog (Amphibian).”

[Popping]

Christina says, OKAY, POLLINHEADS,
THIS IS THE BEACH WE'RE GOING
TO BE SURVEYING.

WE'RE GONNA WALK IN TWO GROUPS,
AND WE'RE GONNA FLIP OVER
EVERY PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD.

SOME OF THE THINGS WE KEEP
TRACK OF WHEN WE FIND A
FIVE-LINED SKINK ARE WHERE
WE FIND IT, SO WE HAVE A GPS,
AND WE'LL RECORD THE LOCATION.

WHETHER IT'S A MALE OR FEMALE,
AND IF THERE'S A NEST, WE'RE
GONNA COUNT THE NUMBER OF
EGGS IN THE NEST, AND WE'LL
ALSO RECORD THE DECAY CLASS
OF THE WOODY DEBRIS.

[Popping]

Chloe asks, WHY ARE WE RECORDING
THE DATA ABOUT THE WOODY DEBRIS?

Melanie explains, IT TELLS US ABOUT
THE SKINKS' PREFERRED HABITAT.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN ADD MORE
OF WHAT THEY LIKE FOR
THEIR HOMES.

Housten says, WOW, THIS IS ONE OF
THE MOST UNUSUAL POLLINHEAD
ADVENTURES YET. WE CAN'T WAIT
TO GET STARTED!

Christina says, WE'RE GONNA BREAK
INTO TWO TEAMS.

Chloe asks, DOES THE WINNING TEAM
GET A PRIZE?

Christina says, FINDING A FIVE-LINED
SKINK IS THE PRIZE IN ITSELF.

A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO
POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK
AND NEVER SEE A SKINK.

HOUSTEN, YOU'RE GONNA COME
WITH ME, AND CHLOE, YOU'RE
GONNA WORK WITH MEL.

Housten says, OKAY.

Melanie says, WE'RE GOING TO
VERY CAREFULLY FLIP THE LOG,
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE SOMEONE
IS READY TO TAKE OBSERVATIONS.

LIFT THE LOG SLOWLY WITH THE
GARDEN HOE. NO SKINKS HERE.

Chloe says, RIGHT.

Melanie says, SO WE'LL VERY
CAREFULLY PUT THE LOG BACK
THE WAY IT WAS.

Chloe says, ALL RIGHT!

Melanie says, OKAY!

[Waves crash, clicking]

Christina says, THEY ARE KNOWN
AS BEING SHY BECAUSE THEY'RE
HIDING FROM PREDATORS.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY QUITE SMALL.

THE AVERAGE SIZE OF A SKINK IS
ABOUT EIGHT CENTIMETRES LONG,
WHICH IS THE SIZE OF MY
INDEX FINGER.

Housten says, I HEARD THAT THEIR
STRIPES AND BLUE TAILS FADE
WITH AGE.

[Upbeat music plays, waves crash]

Christina says, THAT IS CORRECT.
OVER TIME, THE COLOURATION
OF THE STRIPES FADES.

BUT ONE THING THAT REMAINS
THE SAME IS DURING BREEDING
SEASON, THE MALES HAVE ORANGE
AND REDDISH COLOURATION
AROUND THEIR JAWS AND FACE.

Housten says, WOW!

Christina says, LET'S GET STARTED.

Chloe says, OKAY!

Christina asks, DO YOU WANNA
TRY FLIPPING OVER THIS LOG?

Housten says, YEP.

Christina says, SO, VERY GENTLY...
WE'RE GONNA LIFT IT OVER.

Housten and Christina use hoes to slowly roll a log over.

Housten says, OKAY.

Christina says, NO SKINKS.

[Whoosh]

Melanie asks, DO YOU WANNA
CHECK THAT ONE?

Chloe says, SURE. NOPE.

[Popping, upbeat music plays]

Melanie and Chloe crouch beside a log.

Melanie asks, NOTHING?

Chloe says, NO.

[Whoosh, rustling]

Ants scurry on the side of a log.

Housten says, WHOA! BUT
NO SKINK.

Christina says, OOH, LOTS
OF ANTS. NO SKINKS.

[Footsteps in sand]

Chloe says, I'LL CHECK THIS ONE.

Melanie says, OKAY.

Chloe says, NOPE.

Melanie says, NOTHING.

Chloe says, THEY ARE REALLY
TRICKY TO FIND.

Housten says, OH!

CHRISTINA: WHOA, WHAT WAS THAT?

Housten says, I THINK I SAW ONE GO!
IT'S RIGHT OVER THERE.

[Zipper unzips]

Christina says, OKAY, SO I'LL SHOW
YOU WHAT WE DO IF YOU THINK
YOU SAW ONE. WE STILL RECORD
THE DATA, WE MARK THE LOCATION,
AND THEN WE DIDN'T KNOW IF IT
WAS A MALE OR FEMALE, BECAUSE
IT WAS SO QUICK, YOU COULDN'T TELL.

SO WE'RE GONNA COUNT IT AS ONE
UNKNOWN ADULT.

AND THEN WE DETERMINE
THE DECAY CLASS OF THE LOG.

SO WE HAVE SOME PICTURES
RIGHT HERE.

Housten says, YEAH, SO, I THINK
IT'S THREE.

Christina says, YEAH,
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A
THREE AND A FOUR.

Text reads, “What’s the Buzz? With Leo.”

[Whoosh]

Leo says, WELCOME TO A SPECIAL
INTERNATIONAL POLLINATOR
AGENT EDITION OF... "WHAT'S
THE BUZZ?"

LIZARDS ARE KEY POLLINATORS
IN LOTS OF AREAS OF THE WORLD.

BUT THEY ARE ONE OF THE RAREST
AND MOST POORLY UNDERSTOOD
POLLINATORS. LUCKILY RESEARCH
IS CHANGING THAT, AND NOW
FORTY SPECIES OF GECKOS AND LIZARDS
HAVE BEEN OBSERVED POLLINATING.

AND IN SOME CASES, THEY'RE
REPLACING BIRDS AND INSECTS.

IMPRESSIVE! BUT HOW DO THEY DO IT?

LET'S TAKE THE ORNATE DAY GECKO
FROM THE AFRICAN ISLAND
OF MAURITIUS, FOR EXAMPLE.

THEY, LIKE ME, ARE MESSY EATERS,
AND CONSTANTLY HAVE FOOD
ON THEIR FACE.

THESE LIZARDS LOVE EATING
THE NECTAR OF PLANTS SO MUCH
THAT WHEN THEY MOVE ONTO
THE NEXT ONE, THEY HAVE POLLEN
ALL OVER THEIR FACE THAT
ACCIDENTALLY POLLINATES THEM.

SO EATING WITH FOOD ALL OVER
YOUR FACE IS A GOOD THING...
IF YOU'RE A AFRICAN GECKO.

HMM, MAYBE I SHOULD SWITCH
MY BEE COSTUME TO A
GECKO COSTUME.

Christina and Chloe crouch beside a piece of driftwood. Chloe rolls it with her hoe.

Chloe says, OH, I THINK
I SEE ONE! OH!
THAT'S A CATERPILLAR.

Melanie says, THAT'S OKAY,
THAT'S A GOOD SIGN, BECAUSE
CATERPILLARS LIKE THAT ARE
WHAT SKINKS EAT, ALONG
WITH THINGS LIKE BEETLES,
INSECTS, STUFF LIKE THAT.

[Upbeat music plays]

Chloe asks, SO THEY'RE CARNIVORES?

Melanie says, EXACTLY.
AND THEY EVEN EAT BIG THINGS,
LIKE MICE AND FROGS, EVEN.

Chloe asks, WHAT ANIMALS EAT SKINKS?

[Whooshing]

Melanie says, LOTS OF PREDATORS,
LIKE HAWKS, TURKEYS, RACCOONS,
EVEN DOMESTIC CATS.

Chloe says, NO WONDER THEY'RE
SO SHY, THEY'RE HIDING FROM
EVERYONE. WOW.

SKINKS SURE HAVE A LOT
OF CHALLENGES.

Christina says, YOU KNOW, HOUSTEN,
SOMETIMES THE FIVE-LINED SKINKS
LEAVE SCAT ON THE LOG.

Housten asks, WHAT'S SCAT?

Christina says, IT'S ESSENTIALLY POO.

Housten asks, SO THEY LEFT US A CLUE?

Christina says, I HAVE A GOOD FEELING.

Housten says, WHOA!

A skink moves beside a pile of small eggs.

Christina says, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY
HAVE A NEST, AND THOSE ARE EGGS.

Housten says I FOUND ONE, CHLOE!
I FOUND A MOM!

Chloe runs to Housten and looks at the skink.

Chloe says, WHOA, COOL!

Melanie says, GREAT JOB,
THAT'S A MOM, ALL RIGHT.
YOU'RE LUCKY, BECAUSE SKINKS
ONLY BREED ONCE A YEAR.

THE MOM WILL LAY FOUR TO
FIFTEEN EGGS BETWEEN MAY
AND JULY.

Housten says, THE EGGS LOOK
LIKE YOGURT COVERED RAISINS.

Christina says, THAT'S WHAT
I THOUGHT, TOO.

SOMETIMES, UNDER ONE LOG
WE'LL FIND TWO SEPARATE
NESTS, WHERE THE FEMALES
WILL SHARE RESPONSIBILITIES
PROTECTING THE NEST
FROM PREDATORS.

Chloe asks, HOW LONG DOES THE
MOM SKINK GUARD THE NEST FOR?

[Waves crash]

Melanie replies, ABOUT TWENTY-FOUR
TO FIFTY DAYS. AFTERWARDS,
ONCE THE SKINKS ARE BORN,
THE FEMALE LEAVES ONE
TO TWO DAYS AFTER.

JUST REMEMBER, DON'T TOUCH
A SKINK IF YOU SEE ONE.

Housten asks, WHY?

[Upbeat music plays, bird calls]

Leo says, SAFETY CHECK!

IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO
SPOT A SKINK IN THE WILD,
WATCH IT FROM A DISTANCE.

DON'T TRY TO HANDLE THEM,
BECAUSE YOU COULD BREAK OFF
THEIR TAIL. THAT'S RIGHT!
WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A
PREDATOR, SKINKS MAY
DISCONNECT THEIR ENTIRE
TAIL. THE TAIL TWITCHES,
WHICH DISTRACTS THE PREDATOR
LONG ENOUGH FOR THE SKINK
TO RUN AWAY.

A NEW TAIL WILL GROW OVER
TIME, BUT THE SKINK WILL HAVE
LOST MUCH OF THE FAT RESERVES,
WHICH IT RELIES ON TO SURVIVE
THE WINTER.

SO DON'T TOUCH A SKINK, SO IT
CAN KEEP ITS TAIL WHERE IT
BELONGS - ON ITS BODY.

[Rustling, thunk]

Christina says, GOOD JOB. WE DID
SOME IMPORTANT WORK.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT DATA
BACK TO THE OFFICE, CRUNCH
SOME NUMBERS, AND IF THE
NUMBERS ARE HIGH, THAT MEANS
OUR SKINK POPULATION IS
DOING WELL.

Housten says, BUT WE SAW A LOT
OF LOGS, BUT NOT THAT
MANY SKINKS.

Melanie says, WELL, SKINKS ARE
SHY, BUT HAVING A LOT OF LOGS
IS GOOD FOR SKINKS, SO PARKS
CANADA TRIES THEIR BEST TO
PLACE LOGS ALONG SAVANNAH
HABITAT, SO THAT THEY HAVE
MORE PLACES TO HIDE.

Christina says, REMEMBER, IF YOU
EVER COME TO THE PARK TO VISIT
ON YOUR OWN, AND YOU WANT TO
SEE A FIVE-LINED SKINK, WE DON'T
WANT YOU GOING AROUND FLIPPING
LOGS. BUT IF YOU WANTED TO SEE
THEM, OR SHOW YOUR FRIENDS,
A GOOD PLACE TO GO IS FOR LIKE,
A WALK ALONG THE BOARDWALKS
AT BLACK WILLOW OR DELAURIER,
SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE FIVE-LINED
SKINKS SCURRYING AROUND.

Chloe says, BEFORE WE GO, ARE
THERE ANY OTHER FACTS
WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
OUR NEW SKINK FRIENDS?

Christina says, MM, ACTUALLY,
SKINKS HAVE GREEN BLOOD.

[Housten gasps]

Housten says, WOW.
BLUE TAILS, ORANGE HANDS,
AND GREEN BLOOD!

THEY MIGHT BE ONE OF THE
MOST COLOURFUL POLLINATING
PALS WE'VE MET!

Melanie says, THEY ARE REALLY COOL.

Chloe says, WE HAVE THIS
HANDSHAKE CALLED THE HIGH FLY.

SO WE PUT OUR HANDS IN THE
MIDDLE, AND GO LIKE THIS...

Chloe, Housten, Christina, and Melanie lift their arms over their heads.

They all say, HIIIIGH FLYYY!

[Laughter, whoosh]

Text reads, “Pollinheads Alert.”

[Upbeat music plays]

Leo says, ATTENTION,
FELLOW POLLINHEADS!

THE FIVE-LINED SKINK
NEEDS EVERYONE'S HELP.

FIRST OF ALL, LEAVE DRIFTWOOD
ON THE BEACH. IT'S THE HOME
NOT JUST FOR SKINKS, BUT OTHER
CREATURES WHO LIVE AROUND
THE SHORELINES.

AND NEVER BUY ONE AS A PET.

IT PROBABLY CAME FROM THE WILD.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WILD CREATURES
LIKE STAYING WILD!

LATER, POLLINATORS!

[Upbeat music plays]

End credits roll.

“Directed by: Kara Harun.
Written by: Kim Saltarski.
Produced by: Christopher Szarka and Raj Panikkar.

With
Naomi Melvin as ‘LEO’.
Chloe Drayton.
Housten Daghighi.

Produced in association with TVOkids.

Fifth Ground Entertainment.
TVOkids.