How to...

You can anticipate being asked difficult questions while you are volunteering. These can be questions about pesticides, planting, identifying, and more. Please visit this document, which can be printed off and brought along to events, to learn more about how to navigate these difficult situations. 

One of the skills that you need to have to be a Pollinator Ambassador is public speaking. This comes easily to some, while others will need to put in more practice to be effective public speakers. Mastering the skills of a good public speaker can help to combat anxieties about speaking in front of a large audience. Prior to speaking as a Pollinator Ambassador, we will evaluate your speaking skills by listening to a 5-minute presentation that you develop on a topic of your choice. Below is a list of tools and techniques that can help you prepare for giving a talk or presentation. 

Great public speakers…

1. Know their message inside and out 

2. Communicate their message information in a personal and interesting way 

3. Show their passion for information and content 

Developing a great speech or presentation boils down to the three C’s: Connection, Content, and Construction. 

Connection requires… 

• Use your body - your eyes, hands, and other movements. 

• Vary your volume. Everyone must always be able to hear you, but you don’t need to be constantly shouting. 

• Vary your speed. Sometimes it’s okay to speak fast, but sometimes go slower - think about the power of the pause! 

• Show your energy, passion, and humor throughout your presentation to connect with your audience!  

If you don’t connect with your audience, your presentation may not have as significant of an impact. 

Develop your content thoughtfully. 

• Using stories, facts, examples, humor, props, and audience participation can all help to strengthen your message. 

Construction relates to how your content is presented. 

• Using lots of photos, minimal words, animating your slides and transitions, and incorporating polls for audience participation can invoke a better response from your audience. 

Following the three C’s can help set you up for success when speaking in front of an audience. It also helps to be well prepared by practicing multiple times to make sure your content falls within the time limit and to prepare for potential questions the audience may ask.

Content is also accessible in the Volunteer Handbook. 

We have presentation slides available for you to use. 

There are many different ways to set up for a tabling event, it's all about finding what works for you! Explore this page to learn more about ways to set up your table, including what kinds of materials to display and how to interact with visitors. 

Have you joined our Facebook Group? This will be the first place to check for event requests. 

Program leaders will post requests for events. Program volunteers can communicate with each other about requests that they are aware of.

Reaching out to local libraries, nature centers, and garden clubs to talk about pollinators can be a great way to find interested groups. Please see below on how to host your own event. 

Program leaders will additionally reach out to individual volunteers that are located near events. 

Volunteers can reach out to program leaders at any time to inquire about finding events or presentations. 

You are welcome to host your own events or collaborate with local groups or organizations to put on pollinator events. One way to go about this is to reach out to local libraries, nature centers, parks or garden clubs. These groups may be interested in pollinator related events or presentations. To reach out, find the appropriate contact on the organization’s website. This could be a phone number or email. A short message with who you are, what Pollinator Ambassadors is, and that you would like to collaborate to set up an educational event about pollinators is a great way to get started. Proposing a particular type of talk (i.e. about planting for pollinators, how pollinators impact our food, etc.) or type of event (hosting a pollinator trivia night, pollinator scavenger hunt, etc.) can help different groups decide if this will be a good fit for them. 

An additional part of planning an event that is crucial for attendance is spreading the word. This is generally done through social media.

Visit the Contact page for contact information for program leaders. 

If you are asked questions that you are unable to answer at outreach events, please fill out this Google Form. Program leaders will get back to you with answers, as well as pose these questions to the group as part of the regular discussion posting. 

Questions can be posed in the Facebook group at any time as well. 

After attending an event, please fill out this Google Form. This will let us know how many people you interacted with and what type of event you attended or hosted.