Text reads, “tvo kids + Fifth Ground Entertainment Original”

A kid says, WEE!

(Giggling)

A bee flies over dandelions in a field.

Text reads, “Leo’s Pollinators.”

Leo says, IT'S ME, LEO!
THE EXPLORER CLUB
IS ON A NEW MISSION.
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.

A bee pollinates a pink flower.

Text reads, “‘Nator Navigator”

Leo continues, WITHOUT OUR POLLINATORS,
FLYING, BUZZING,
SLITHERING AROUND,
WE'D ALL BE GOING HUNGRY.
EVEN ME!
HOUSTEN AND CHLOE ARE IN THE
FIELDS 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, a red and blue fish, swims at the bottom of a lake. Two monitors sit on the lake floor behind her.

Leo says, ONCE UPON A TIME,
IN A FARAWAY LAND,
THERE WAS A HUGE STRIP
OF PLAIN LAND
FILLED WITH NOTHING
BUT TALL TOWERS.
AND THEN... POOF!

Power line towers stand amidst a large meadow of tall grass and wildflowers.

Leo continues, MAGIC! THE LAND WAS RESTORED
BY FAIRIES
INTO A BEAUTIFUL MEADOW
FOR ALL CREATURES TO GATHER
AND ENJOY.
AND THAT IS A TRUE STORY.

Bees and butterflies pollinate yellow and purple wildflowers.

Leo continues, OKAY, EXCEPT THAT THE FAIRIES
WERE SCIENTISTS
AND CONSERVATIONISTS
AND THE MAGIC PART WAS ALL
THE HARD WORK THEY PUT IN
TO TURN THE MEADOWAY
FROM JUST A HYDRO CORRIDOR
INTO A NATURE PARADISE
FOR ANIMALS AND INSECTS,
INCLUDING THE BICOLOURED
AGAPOSTEMON,
WHICH IS AT THE TOP
OF TODAY'S 'NATOR NAVIGATOR.

A small black and yellow winged insect with a green head pollinates a purple wildflower.

Text reads, Bicoloured Agapostemon.

THE BICOLOURED AGAPOSTEMON
IS A TYPE OF SMALL SWEAT BEE.
THE MALES HAVE AN AMAZING
METALLIC GREEN COLOURING
ON THEIR HEAD AND THORAX.
THIS SHINY, GREEN BEE
ISN'T THE ONLY BEE
THAT LOVES THE MEADOWAY.
THE POLLINHEADS ARE ON
THE LOOKOUT FOR ANY,
AND ALL, BEE SPECIES TODAY.
CHLOE AND HOUSTEN ARE JOINING
SCOTT MACIVOR AND SISLEY IRWIN,
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO.
THEY'LL BE INSPECTING THIS
MAGICAL RESTORATION PROJECT
AND COLLECTING BEES
ALONG THE WAY.

“Meadoway” is highlighted with an orange flag on a colouful map of southern Ontario.

Leo says, TO THE MEADOWAY!

Chloe and Housten walk through the meadoway with Scott and Sisley. Scott has short brown hair and wears an open blue Oxford shirt over a blue t-shirt.

Text reads, Scott McIvor. University of Toronto.

Housten asks, SO ALL OF THIS USED
TO BE PLAIN GRASS?

Scott says, IT WAS MOWED FOR DECADES,
AND THE TORONTO REGION
CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
RECENTLY DECIDED TO PLANT
A NATIVE MEADOW.

Chloe asks, HOW DID THEY KNOW
WHAT TO PLANT?

Scott says, WELL, THEY TALKED TO
SCIENTISTS LIKE SISLEY AND I,
TO COME UP WITH A BEST LIST
OF PLANTS THAT SUPPORT
DIFFERENT BEE SPECIES,
AND OTHER BIODIVERSITY.

Houston asks, WHAT KIND OF POLLINATORS
LIVE HERE?

Sisley says, ALL TYPES.
WE HAVE BUTTERFLIES, MOTHS,
BEETLES, BEES.
IT'S BASICALLY A HAVEN
FOR ALL POLLINATORS.

Sisley has long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. She wears a light grey and white plaid shirt over a white t-shirt with a butterfly pattern.

Scott says, AND IT'S THE PERFECT PLACE
FOR THE BICOLOURED AGAPOSTEMON.
THIS BEE IS FOUND ALL OVER
THE CITY, AND IN FACT,
IT'S NOW THE OFFICIAL BEE
OF TORONTO.

A Bicoloured Agapostemon is on one of Leo’s monitors. On the other monitor text reads, Toronto’s Official Bee.

Leo says, WOW.

Chloe says, REALLY?

Scott says, YEAH, IT'S THE AMBASSADOR FOR
HUNDREDS OF SPECIES OF BEES
FOUND ACROSS OUR CITY.

Text reads, What’s the Buzz, with Leo.

Leo says, EVERYONE IS BUZZING
ABOUT THIS GREEN DAZZLER.
THAT'S RIGHT;
CANADA'S LARGEST CITY
HAS AN OFFICIAL BEE.

The Toronto skyline appears on a monitor.

Leo continues, THE BICOLOURED AGAPOSTEMON
LOVES THE CITY,
SO THERE'S LOTS OF THEM.
FEMALES OF THIS SOLITARY
SPECIES LIVE IN NEARBY NESTS
BUT IN THEIR OWN SEPARATE UNITS.
JUST LIKE A CONDOMINIUM
OR APARTMENT BUILDING.
WHEN ONE BEE IS HOME,
IT WILL EVEN WATCH OVER
THE NESTS OF THE NEARBY BEES.

An animation shows a bee crawling near two nests of eggs in a green hill.

Leo continues, THEY ARE GREAT NEIGHBOURS!
BETWEEN THEIR FLASHY LOOKS,
LARGE POPULATION,
AND THEIR CITY LIFESTYLE,
IT MAKES SENSE THAT
THE BICOLOURED AGAPOSTEMON
IS THE "IT" BEE OF THE CITY.
AND THAT'S THE BUZZ.

Everyone walks through the meadoway.

Text reads, Sisley Irwin. University of Toronto.

Sisley says, THE MEADOWAY IS ALSO
THE PERFECT PLACE
TO CONDUCT MY RESEARCH, WHICH
IS ALL ABOUT PLANT DIVERSITY
AND HOW THAT AFFECTS
WILD BEE POPULATIONS.

Scott says, YEAH, THE HYPOTHESIS IS
THAT THE MORE DIFFERENT KINDS
OF PLANTS WE PLANT IN THESE
RESTORATION EFFORTS
THE MORE DIFFERENT KINDS
OF BEES WE'LL SEE.

A variety of bees pollinate on yellow, pink, and purple wildflowers.

Chloe says, A HYPOTHESIS
IS LIKE AN EDUCATED GUESS
OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN, RIGHT?

Scott says, YEAH, AN EDUCATED GUESS
THAT WE CAN TEST AND PROVE.
AND HERE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO
IS TRY TO SURVEY
THE KINDS OF BEES THAT WE FIND
IN THESE RESTORATION AREAS
AND COMPARE THEM TO THE KINDS
OF BEES THAT WE FIND
IN NON-RESTORED AREAS.

Housten says, COOL!

Scott says, SO, LET'S SPLIT UP,
AND CHECK OUT THESE DIFFERENT
RESTORATION AREAS
AND SEE WHAT KIND OF BEES
WE CAN FIND.

Leo watches the meadoway on a monitor.

Leo says, LET THE HUNTING BEGIN!
CHLOE AND SCOTT WILL LOOK
AT AN AREA OF THE MEADOWAY
THAT HAS BEEN RESTORED WITH
TONS OF DIFFERENT PLANTS.
AND HOUSTEN AND SISLEY
WILL EXPLORE AN AREA
THAT HAS LESS DIVERSITY.
LET'S SEE IF THE HYPOTHESIS
IS RIGHT.

Chloe carries a bug-catching net as she walks through the meadoway with Scott.

Chloe says, THERE'S SO MANY PLANTS HERE.

Scott says, YEAH, THEY PLANTED LOTS
OF DIFFERENT KINDS
OF NATIVE PLANTS LIKE BEE BALM,
AND BROWN-EYED SUSAN,
AND SOME SPONTANEOUS,
NON-NATIVE PLANTS
HAVE ALSO POPPED UP HERE
IN THE MEADOWAY,
LIKE THIS ALFALFA,
OR THIS MULLEIN, RIGHT HERE.

Chloe asks, ARE THEY INVASIVE?

Scott says, WELL, NOT ALL NON-NATIVE
PLANTS ARE INVASIVE.
INVASIVE PLANTS ARE THOSE THAT
ARE BROUGHT HERE BY HUMANS,
THEY SPREAD ON THEIR OWN,
AND THEN,
THEY BEGIN TO HAVE A NEGATIVE
IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
THESE ONES STILL PROVIDE LOTS
OF HABITAT FOR DIFFERENT BEES.

Leo watches Housten and Sisley walk through the meadoway on a monitor.

Leo says, OOH, LET'S SEE WHAT SISLEY
AND HOUSTEN ARE UP TO.

Housten says, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S
ANY FLOWERS HERE, AT ALL.

Sisley says, RIGHT? IT'S PRETTY SPARSE.
IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE
OF SIMPLE PLANT DIVERSITY
IN AN UNRESTORED SITE
WHERE NO NATIVE PLANTS
HAVE BEEN PLANTED YET.

Houston points at small white wildflowers.

Housten says, OH, BUT LOOK! I SEE A BEE!
SHOULD WE NET IT?

Sisley says, I WAS THINKING
WE'D USE SOMETHING
WITH A LITTLE MORE POWER.

Sisley takes off a grey backpack. She holds a vacuum-like machine with a long clear plastic nozzle.

Housten says, WOW.

Sisley says, THIS IS A BUG VACUUM.
SOMETIMES WITH A NET
YOU CAN MISS CATCHING
SOME OF THOSE SMALL SPECIES,
AND YOU CAN ALSO DAMAGE A LOT
OF THE NATIVE PLANTS.
SO, WE USE THIS INSTEAD.

Housten asks, DOES IT HURT THE INSECTS?

Sisley says, NOPE.
IT JUST GOES ON A LITTLE RIDE
THROUGH THE NOZZLE.

Housten asks, CAN I TRY?

Sisley says, SURE!

(Perky upbeat music)

Housten carries the big vacuum as he walks through a field with Sisley.

Housten says, IT'S LIKE A GOOSE CHASE.

Sisley says, HE'S RIGHT HERE.

Housten says, OKAY, I GOTTA BE
VERY CAREFUL.

Sisley says, SO, JUST POINT YOUR VACUUM
AT HIM,
AND PRESS THE BUTTON.

(Vacuum whirs)

Housten sucks a bee on white wildflowers into the vacuum.

Sisley says, OKAY.

Housten says, WHOA, WE GOT ONE.

Sisley says, NOW, THIS IS HOW
YOU GET THEM OUT.
YOU OPEN UP THE NOZZLE
AND YOU CAN SEE,
THERE'S THE BEE,
RIGHT IN THERE.

Sisley holds a small clear plastic cylinder.

Housten says, WOW!

Sisley says, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S
A BUMBLEBEE.

Housten says, OH!

(Vacuum whirring)

The bee gets sucked into the vacuum in slow motion.

Scott and Chloe walks through the meadoway.

Scott says, WOW, EVEN WITH MY NAKED EYE
I CAN SEE
SO MANY DIFFERENT BEE SPECIES
OUT IN THESE NATIVE PLANTS.

Chloe says, OH! LOOK AT THIS PLANT!
THERE'S SO MANY BEES ON IT.

Chloe and Scott approach a tall yellow wildflower plant.

Scott says, YEAH, THIS IS A NATIVE
SPECIES
THAT'S PLANTED IN THE MEADOWAY.
IT'S CALLED A CUP PLANT
AND YOU CAN SEE,
IT'S ALL THROUGH THIS MEADOW,
HERE.
IT'S A NATIVE SPECIES
THAT'S REALLY ATTRACTIVE
TO BEES IN THE SUMMER,
WHEN IT FLOWERS,
AND YOU CAN SEE ALL KINDS OF
BUMBLEBEES
FLYING AROUND RIGHT NOW.
I EVEN SEE A RARER BEE.
THIS IS A KLEPTOPARASTIC BEE
OF LEAFCUTTER BEES,
AND THIS IS ALSO THE PLANT
THAT WE OFTEN FIND
BICOLOURED AGAPOSTEMON ON.
SO, WE SHOULD KEEP LOOKING
AT THIS PLANT
AS WE COLLECT TODAY.

Chloe says, LET'S GET COLLECTING!

(Grass rustles)

(Vacuum whirring)

A bee vacuum sucks bees up off yellow cup plants. Leo watches a bee in a cylinder on one of her monitors.

Leo says, WING-TASTIC!
NOW WE GET TO SEE
OUR POLLINATORS UP CLOSE
AND SEE IF MORE PLANT TYPES
MEAN THERE'S MORE TYPES
OF BEES.

Everyone gathers around a white plastic table near the meadoway. A large red cooler sits on the table. Scott and Sisley put bee cylinders on the table.

Housten says, WOW, YOU GUYS GOT
A LOT OF BEES.

Scott says, OKAY, NOW WE'VE GOTTA
TRY TO GET THEM IN THE VIALS.

Chloe says, YEAH.

Sisley says, THIS IS THE HARD PART!

Sisley and Scott hold small clear vials up the end of their bee cylinders.

Housten says, YAY!
THAT'S ANOTHER ONE.

Several vials containing bees sit on the table.

Housten says, YOU GUYS DEFINITELY CAUGHT
WAY MORE BEES THAN WE DID.

Chloe says, YEAH, WE TOTALLY DID.
BUT I WONDER HOW MANY
SPECIES WE GOT?

Scott says, YEAH, WELL, LET'S TAKE A LOOK
HERE. WE GOT A FEW.
FIRST, HERE'S THIS LARGE
CARPENTER BEE.
ONE OF THE LARGEST BEES
WE HAVE IN TORONTO.
NESTS IN WOOD.
ONE OF THE ONLY ONES
THAT CHEW THROUGH WOOD.
PRETTY BIG, HUH?

Chloe says, THAT'S SO BIG!
HEY, THIS ONE LOOKS GREEN.
IS THIS THE BICOLOURED
AGAPOSTEMON?

Scott says, IT IS A GREEN,
METALLIC SWEAT BEE,
AND IT IS A AGAPOSTEMON,
BUT IT'S NOT THE BICOLOURED
AGAPOSTEMON.
THIS IS A CLOSELY-RELATED
SPECIES
CALLED AGAPOSTEMON SERICEUS.
THE ONE WE'RE LOOKING FOR
HAS A GREEN HEAD,
A GREEN THORAX, AND A BLACK
ABDOMEN WITH YELLOW HAIRS.
AND HERE IT IS, RIGHT HERE.

Housten and Chloe peer at a bee inside a vial.

Housten and Chloe say, OH!

Scott says, SO, THERE'S THE BICOLOURED
AGAPOSTEMON.
AND DO YOU SEE HOW IT HAS
THE BLACK ABDOMEN
WITH THE YELLOW STRIPES?

Chloe says, YEAH.

Housten says, AND THE BLACK BUTT?

Scott says, YEAH, SO, THAT'S THE EASIEST
WAY TO TELL THEM APART.

Chloe asks, DID YOU GUYS FIND
ANY DIFFERENT ONES?

Sisley says, I DON'T KNOW, LET'S SEE.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A NEW ONE.
THIS IS WOOL CARDER BEE.
THEY'RE A NON-NATIVE SPECIES
OF BEE,
SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT WE FOUND
IT IN AN UNRESTORED AREA,
BECAUSE THEY VISIT
LOTS OF NON-NATIVE PLANTS.

Scott says, IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY
INTERESTING
BECAUSE THESE BEES DO SOMETHING
THAT'S UNLIKE
ANY OF THE OTHER BEES
THAT WE FIND AROUND HERE.
IT ACTUALLY COLLECTS THE HAIRS
FROM FUZZY-LEAFED PLANTS,
COLLECTS THEM ALL
IN A LITTLE BALL
AND MAKES LIKE, A FLUFFY NEST
INSIDE FOR THEIR BABY BEES.

A black and yellow bee crawls on a fluffy green leaf.

Chloe says, AW, THAT'S REALLY CUTE.

Scott says, YOU'D THINK SO,
BUT THESE BEES ARE ACTUALLY
REALLY AGGRESSIVE,
SO THEY'LL ACTUALLY GUARD
THE FLOWERS
THAT THEY LIKE TO VISIT,
AND HEAD-BUTT AND BANG OTHER
BEES THAT COME NEARBY.

Chloe taps on a vial and says, YOU GOTTA CHILL.

A black and yellow bee crawls inside a vial.

Scott says, AND THIS LITTLE ONE, HERE.
YOU SEE? ANOTHER REALLY SMALL
BEE,
IT'S CALLED A MASKED BEE,
AND WHAT'S REALLY COOL
ABOUT THESE BEES, TOO,
WHICH IS PRETTY UNIQUE,
IS RATHER THAN COLLECTING
ITS POLLEN ON ITS BODY
AND CARRYING IT BACK
TO THE NEST,
IT ACTUALLY FILLS ITS STOMACH
FULL OF POLLEN.
WHEN IT GETS BACK TO THE NEST,
IT PUKES IT ALL BACK UP
FOR THE BABIES.

Chloe and Housten say, EW!!

(Scott laughs)

Chloe says, IT'S SO SMALL.
I WOULD'VE MISTAKEN THIS
FOR AN ANT.

Scott says, YEAH, THERE'S LOTS OF BEES
IN TORONTO
THAT ARE REALLY SMALL,
SO WE'VE OFTEN MISTAKEN
THEM FOR ANTS,
OR BEETLES, OR FLIES.

An ant and a modest masked bee are shown side by side. Chloe counts vials on the table.

Chloe says, 19, 20, 21.
THAT'S 21 BEES
AND 21 DIFFERENT SPECIES
IN OUR DIVERSE AREA.

Scott says, THAT'S RIGHT.

Housten counts vials on the other side of the table.

Housten says, THERE IS ONE, TWO, THREE,
FOUR, FIVE, SIX BEES
AND SIX SPECIES
IN THE SIMPLE AREA.

Sisley says, MM-HMM.

Chloe says, I WASN'T EXPECTING
THE NUMBERS TO BE SO DIFFERENT.

Sisley says, YEAH, WHEN I FIRST STARTED
MY STUDY, NEITHER DID I.
BUT I HAD A SUSPICION,
AND THAT'S HOW I CAME UP
WITH MY HYPOTHESES.

Scott says, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR SCIENTISTS
AND RESEARCHERS TO DO THIS
KIND OF WORK
IN RESTORED AND UNRESTORED
AREAS,
TRYING TO SEE HOW IT AFFECTS
BEE POPULATIONS,
SO THAT WE CAN SHARE THIS
INFORMATION
WITH THE GOVERNMENT,
CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES,
SO THAT WE DO MAKE THE BEST
DECISIONS
WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT
NATURE IN OUR CITY.

Housten says, I'M GLAD WE CAN COME OUT
AND HELP.

Chloe says, YEAH. AND I'M GLAD
THAT THE MEADOW
HAS SO MANY FLOWERS FOR SO MANY
BEES TO ENJOY.

Scott says, SO ARE WE, POLLINHEADS.

Housten says, LET'S DO A HIGH FLY.

Chloe says, HANDS IN THE MIDDLE.

Everyone says, HIGH FLY!

Everyone wiggles their fingers, then raises their hands over their heads.

Chloe says, WOO HOO!

Leo watches them on a monitor.

Leo says, AW, A BEAUTIFUL ANSWER
TO A BEAUTIFUL QUESTION.

A sign in the meadoway reads, “Meadow Restoration”

Leo continues, THE MORE TYPES OF FLOWERS,
THE MORE TYPES OF BEES.
YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING
WITH THIS.

A variety of bees pollinate pink, purple, and yellow flowers.
A flower with yellow petals and a blue centre spins in front of Leo. Text reads, Pollinheads Alert!

Leo says, POLLINHEADS ALERT!
TIME TO GET GARDENING!
PLANTING DIFFERENT TYPES
OF FLOWERS
ISN'T JUST FOR SCIENTISTS
AND CONSERVATIONISTS,
YOU CAN BRING MORE BEES
TO YOUR GARDEN
BY MAKING SURE IT'S FILLED
WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PLANTS.

People plant flowers and plants in a garden.

Leo continues, PLANT FLOWERS OF DIFFERENT
COLOURS, SIZES, AND SHAPES,
SO ALL TYPES OF BEES
HAVE A CHANCE TO VISIT
AND POLLINATE.

A young boy and girl play in a garden on one of the monitors behind Leo.

Leo says, I KNOW, I KNOW, I'M ALWAYS
TELLING YOU TO GARDEN,
BUT SERIOUSLY, OUR POLLINATING
PALS NEED GARDENS
WITH LOTS OF DIFFERENT FLOWERS
TO FEED ON.

Bees pollinate a variety of colourful flowers.

Leo continues, AND LET'S FACE IT,
WE ALL NEED LOTS OF DIFFERENT
POLLINATORS AROUND
TO MAKE SURE WE ALL GET FED.
WHEW! SPEAKING OF WHICH,
SOUNDS LIKE IT'S SNACK TIME.
GARDEN ON, POLLINHEADS!
GARDEN ON!

(Upbeat electronic music)

End credits. Directed and written by Melissa Peters. Created by Karen Hawes and Christopher Szarka.
Produced by Christopher Szarka and Raj Panikkar. With Naomi Melvin as “Leo” and Chloe Drayton and Housten Daghighi.
Produced in Association with tvo Kids. Fifth Ground Entertainment. tvo Kids.