Green-crowned brilliant hummingbird with giant thistle, Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica

© adrian hepworth/Alam

Spread the pollen. Pollinator Week

Let's celebrate the small heroes who help plants flourish! It's Pollinator Week, celebrating the creatures which transport pollen to help plants reproduce. While some plants are self-pollinating, or pollinated by wind or water, the majority of them are fertilised with the help of bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, birds—like the green-crowned brilliant hummingbird in today's image—and even bats. The non-profit organisation Pollinator Partnership initiated Pollinator Week to raise awareness about the protection of these creatures. This celebration is now being joined by other programs and educational events around the country. Should we care? Absolutely! From fruits and veggies to nuts, chocolate or sugarcane, there are plenty of ingredients in our diet that are brought to us by pollinators.