Pollinators

Facilitate easy identification of some of the common pollinators in the field.

The Mobile Application – Pollinators developed with expertise and knowledge of Dr.Johnson Stanley – is a Citizen Science initiative, to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. It is hoped that this mobile application will help increase awareness and understanding about butterflies and bees amongst

fellow citizens.

Pollinators play an important role in the Web of Life. Several plants need seeds to grow into new plants. The process that leads to creation of seeds is called Pollination. Plants sometimes self-pollinate, however most of the times they rely on insects, wind, birds, animals, etc. for pollination. ‘Pollinators‛ include - bees, butterflies, moths, flies, hummingbirds and bats. Bees are one of the most important pollinators. Several species of Bees - Honey bees, Bumble bees, Stingless bees, Solitary bees and other Native bees come under this category. The body of honey bees is hairy and the pollen get cling to it and get transferred to other flowers when they travel from one flower to another for nectar or pollen collection. Honey bees also have special structures called pollen baskets in their hind legs which aid in pollen collection. Bumble bees are called as buzz pollinators because they produce a characteristic buzzing sound which aid in pollination. Butterflies seek nectar during daytime. Beetles also provide pollinator services. Hummingbirds are perhaps the most common bird pollinator. Other birds that provide pollinator services include Wood thrush, Cerulean warbler, and Eastern Cuckoo. Bats are integral for night blooming flowers and crops. Scientists engaged in plant propagation are keen to understand these processes and conditions that optimize their roles. Citizens’ observations on occurrence and distribution of these active ecosystem members help enrich understanding of these aspects. The pollination services determine fruit or seed availability and quality, thereby provide very important food and habitat resources for other organisms, including human beings.

Pollinators App is an initiative of Earthwatch Institute India to facilitate easy identification of some of the Pollinators in the field using mobile application. It is hoped that this mobile application will help increase public awareness and generate greater interest regarding pollinators and their habitat. The App will further strengthen our keenness to observe the pollinators and help us as Citizen Scientist, in contributing to the knowledge base.

The app displays information such as:

1. High Resolution image.

2. Common and Scientific names.

3. Trivia

3.Key data like Order, Size, Localities, Where to Look, Host Plant Details and Host Significance etc

App Features:

1. Multiple navigation like Pages, Slider and searchable grid view.

2. Pinch or Double tap to Zoom.

3. Pollinator slideshow widget!

4. Slideshow mode.

5. Report your own Pollinator sighting!

6. In-App brightness control.

7. Set any Pollinator picture as your Wallpaper.

8. Landscape book style navigation.

9. Remembers previous read page and position.