(Bright music plays)

A child says, WHEE!

(Giggling)

Text reads, tvokids + Fifth Ground Entertainment Original.

A bee buzzes over a title that reads, Leo’s Pollinators.

Leo says, IT'S ME, LEO!

Leo is a red and blue fish that swims at the bottom of a lake in front of two monitors with the Leo’s Pollinators logo displayed.

Leo says, THE EXPLORER CLUB
IS ON A NEW MISSION.

Text reads, Leo’s Pollinators Explorer’s Club. TVOkids Presents.

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

Videos play of worms, bees, bats, butterflies, lemurs and moths.

Leo says, POLLEN IS THE STUFF
THAT HELPS MAKE OUR FRUITS,
VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS.
WITHOUT OUR POLLINATORS FLYING,
BUZZING AND SLITHERING AROUND,
WE'D ALL BE GOING HUNGRY,
EVEN ME!

A bee pollinates a pink flower. Text reads, ‘Nator Navigator.

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.

The Leo’s Pollinators Explorer Club logo is displayed. In the lake, one of Leo’s monitors has a picture of a yellow flower.

Leo says, TRICK OR TREAT?
WELL, TRICK,
BECAUSE IT'S NOT HALLOWEEN,
BUT I CAN'T HELP
BUT GET EXCITED
BECAUSE TODAY'S POLLINATOR
EXTRAORDINAIRE SPECIALIZES
IN ALL THINGS OF THE AUTUMN
SEASON:
GOURDS, SQUASHES,
AND BEST OF ALL, PUMPKINS!

Pictures of the different vegetables are displayed. Leo looks at a monitor that displays a bee.

Leo says, ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE ONE
POLLINATOR TO THANK:
THE SQUASH BEE!

Text on the video of the bee reads, Squash Bee.

Leo says, THIS AUTUMN POLLINATOR
IS AT THE TOP OF TODAY'S
'NATOR NAVIGATOR.
THE SQUASH BEE IS
A MEDIUM-SIZED BEE
ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HONEYBEE.

A squash bee sleeps in a flower.

Leo says, IT'S A SOLITARY BEE,
WHICH MEANS IT DOESN'T
HAVE A HIVE, OR A QUEEN.
IT'S HIND LEGS HAVE REALLY
LONG, SPARSE HAIRS
WHICH HELP IT PICK UP
THE BIG, CHUNKY POLLEN
FROM THE SQUASH BLOSSOMS.
AND IT'S A PICKY EATER.
THIS BEE WILL ONLY FEED
THEIR YOUNG
NECTAR AND POLLEN
FROM SQUASH FAMILY CROPS.
AND THESE PLANTS DON'T MAKE
IT EASY ON OUR POLLINATORS.
THEIR FLOWERS ONLY BLOOM ONCE
AND VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING
SO, THERE'S NO SLEEPING IN
FOR OUR SQUASH BEES.
THEY'RE UP AND AT IT EARLY
MAKING SURE THEY COLLECT ENOUGH
POLLEN AND NECTAR
BEFORE THE SQUASH BLOSSOMS
WILT.

A squash blossom wilts in a timelapse.

Leo says, WHEW!
THAT MEANS IT'S A SUPER
EARLY START
FOR THE POLLINHEADS TODAY.
THEY'RE MEETING UP
WITH DR. SUSAN CHAN,
ONE OF THE LEADING SQUASH BEE
EXPERTS IN NORTH AMERICA,
AT BUCKHORN BERRY FARM
IN PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO,
TO HELP HER COLLECT DATA
FOR HER LATEST RESEARCH.
THE STUDY IS ALL ABOUT
HOW THE MALE BEE'S CONSTANT
SEARCH FOR A MATE
LEADS TO THEIR AMAZING
POLLINATION.
DARE I SAY IT,
BUT THIS IS MORE EXCITING
THAN HALLOWEEN!

The sun rises over a field of pumpkins.

Housten says, I DON'T SEE ANY
POLLEN IN THE FLOWER.

Housten and Chloe kneel in the field with Dr. Susan Chan. Housten wears a blue Explorer’s Club shirt. Chloe wears a purple one. Susan has short curly brown hair and glasses. She wears a denim button down over a turquoise shirt.

Susan says, THAT'S BECAUSE
THIS IS A FEMALE FLOWER.

Text reads, Dr. Susan Chan, Squash Bee Expert.

Susan says, AND FEMALE FLOWERS ARE THE ONES
THAT MAKE THE FRUIT.
THE LACK OF ANTHERS
THAT CARRY POLLEN…

In a picture of a bee in a flower, an arrow points to the bulb in the centre with text that reads, anther.

Susan continues, …ON THE FEMALE FLOWER,
MAKE THE JOB OF THE BEES
REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT
BECAUSE THE BEES HAVE
TO CARRY THE POLLEN
FROM THE MALE FLOWERS
TO THE FEMALE FLOWERS.

Chloe says, SO WITHOUT THE POLLINATION,
THERE WOULD REALLY
BE NO PUMPKINS.

Housten says, OR PUMPKIN PIE.

He and Chloe giggle.

Susan days, EXACTLY, WE DON'T WANT THAT!
SO, FORTUNATELY, SQUASH BEES
ARE REALLY COMMON.
WE HAVE THEM ALL OVER THE PLACE
IN ONTARIO
AND THEY'RE REALLY GOOD
AT THEIR JOBS.
AND YOU KNOW,
THEY'RE FROM MEXICO.
THEY CAME ALL THE WAY UP
TO ONTARIO, SLOWLY,
WITH THE INDIGENOUS TRADE
IN PUMPKIN SEEDS.
SO, THEY FOLLOWED PEOPLE
UP HERE.

Chloe says, AWESOME.

Susan chuckles.

She says, SO, BEES DON'T ONLY
EAT POLLEN,
THEY ALSO EAT NECTAR.
IT'S LIKE THEIR ENERGY SOURCE.

Susan cuts a squash blossom. She gently pulls the petal off and cuts the anther off.

She says, AND THE NECTARIES
ARE UNDERNEATH THERE.
DO YOU SEE THEM?

She gestures to the space around where the anther was.

Chloe says, YEAH.

She and Housten look at the dissected flower.

Chloe says, IT'S SO DEEP IN THE FLOWER.

Susan says, YEAH, THE BEES HAVE TO WORK
REALLY HARD.
DO YOU WANNA TRY SOME?

Chloe says, WHAT?
LIKE EAT THE NECTAR?

Housten says, THIS IS A POLLINHEADS FIRST!

Susan says, HERE, HOUSTEN,
GIVE IT A TRY.
STICK YOUR FINGER IN THERE,
AND PUT THAT IN YOUR MOUTH,
AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.

Housten tastes the nectar.

He says, ‘ IT'S A LITTLE BIT BUTTERY
AND A LITTLE BIT OF COLA.

Susan says, OH, YOU'RE KIDDING ME!

Chloe and Susan laughs.

Susan says, THAT'S GREAT.

(Laughing)

Chloe says, I GOTTA TRY THIS.

She dips her finger in the pollen.

Susan says, GET RIGHT IN,
AND MOVE IT AROUND.

Chloe says, OH, OKAY.

She licks her finger.

She says, I DON'T KNOW WHERE
YOU GOT COLA FROM.

(Laughing)

Chloe says, BUT I DO TASTE THE BUTTER.

Susan says, YOU DO. OH WOW!
WHEN I TASTE IT,
I ONLY TASTE LICORICE.
I DON'T TASTE COLA, OR BUTTER,
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S SO WEIRD?
ALL OF THESE FLOWERS
WILL BE GONE BY NOON.
THEY'LL ALL BE WILTED,
AND THE BEES WON'T BE ABLE
TO GET INTO THEM.
YEAH, SO ALL THE POLLINATION
HAS TO HAPPEN
IN A REALLY SHORT TIME.

Chloe says, THAT'S SO STRANGE.
IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE
SUCH A BIG JOB TO DO,
BUT NOT A LOT OF TIME TO DO IT.

Susan says, YEAH, THEY REALLY
ARE SUPERSTARS.
LET'S GO SEE THEM
DO THIS POLLINATION.

Chloe and Housten look excited. They walk through the field with Susan.

Susan says, OKAY, GUYS,
LET'S LOOK FOR SOME BEES.

Susan, Chloe and Housten scan the field.

Susan says, OH, I SEE A LOT OF MALES
OVER HERE.

Housten says, WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

Susan says, WELL, THEY'RE LOOKING
FOR MATES.
MATING IS THE MALE BEE'S
NUMBER ONE GOAL.
IT CAUSES THEM TO FLY
FROM ONE FLOWER
TO THE NEXT FLOWER,
TO THE NEXT FLOWER,
IN SEARCH OF A MATE,
BECAUSE THE FEMALES,
THEY ONLY MATE ONCE
AND THERE ARE WAY MORE MALES
THAN FEMALES.
AND AS THEY FLY FROM FLOWER
TO FLOWER,
THEY POLLINATE!

Housten asks, HOW DO THEY DECIDE
WHEN TO MATE?

Susan says, WELL, WHEN THEY APPROACH
A FLOWER,
THEY MAKE A SERIES
OF DECISIONS.
THEY CAN DECIDE TO LAND
ON THE FLOWER,
THEY CAN DECIDE TO GO DOWN
INTO THE FLOWER
IF THEY SEE A FEMALE DOWN THERE
AND THEN, THEY CAN DECIDE
TO MATE WITH THE FEMALE.

Housten says, I CAN HARDLY DECIDE
WHAT TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST.
I DON'T KNOW HOW BEES CAN MAKE
THESE DECISIONS ALL DAY.

Susan says, IT'S A LOT, RIGHT?
WHAT MY TEAM AND I DO
IS WE LOOK AT THE BEES
AND WE STUDY THEM,
USING VIDEO FOOTAGE.
YOU GUYS HAVE CAMERAS, RIGHT?

Housten says, YEAH.

Chloe says, WE CAN HELP WITH THAT!

Chloe and Housten pull out their phones. Housten starts recording a flower. Chloe records a bee in another flower. The pair wander through the field. Housten records Chole jumping. Susan looks down at a flower.

She says, OH, THERE'S ONE HERE.

She gently takes a bee out of the flower.

Susan says, THIS IS A MALE.

Chloe gasps. Susan gently holds the bee between her fingers.

She says, THE MALE CAN'T STING YOU
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T
HAVE A STINGER.
DO YOU WANNA HOLD HIM?

Housten says, YEAH.
HELLO, LITTLE BEE.

Housten smiles at the bee he holds between his fingers.

Susan says, SO, SQUASH BEES
HAVE SUPER HAIRY LEGS
SO THAT THEY CAN PICK UP
THE POLLEN
FROM THE PUMPKINS AND SQUASHES
AND THE FEMALES ARE WAY
MORE HAIRY THAN THE MALES.

Pictures of a female and a male bee are displayed. The female is covered in pollen.

Susan says, AND THEY GET COMPLETELY
COVERED IN POLLEN,
BECAUSE THEY'RE TAKING THE
POLLEN BACK TO THEIR BABIES
IN THE NEST. WOULD YOU LIKE
TO SEE ONE, CHLOE?

Chloe says, YEAH!

Susan kneels beside Chloe.

She says, THERE'S ONE HERE.

She holds a bee between her fingers.

Susan says, IT HAS A LONG TONGUE.

Chloe holds the bee.

Susan says, THERE YOU GO!

Chloe says, OH, IT'S GOT SO MUCH
POLLEN ON ITS LEGS.

Susan says, SO, THE WAY I CAN TELL
THIS IS A MALE, FOR SURE,
IS I LOOK AT THE FACE,
AND DO YOU SEE THAT WHITE SPOT,
RIGHT THERE,
ON THE FRONT OF ITS FACE?

An arrow points to a spot on a close up picture of a male bee.

Housten says, YEAH!

Chloe says, OH YEAH!

Susan says, OKAY, LET'S LET THIS BEE GO
AND WE'LL GO AND COLLECT
SOME POLLEN.

Chloe says, ALL RIGHT.

Housten says, BYE!

Chloe releases the bee.

Susan, Chloe and Housten say, BYE!

They wave as the bee flies away. Housten giggles. He searches the field with Chloe and Susan.

He says, SUE, CHLOE, I FOUND
SOMETHING COOL! COME!

Susan says, OH!

Housten says, RIGHT HERE.

Housten points to a flower. Chloe and Susan join him.

Susan says, OH, IT'S A STRIPED
CUCUMBER BEETLE.

A picture of a Striped Cucumber Beetle is displayed. The beetle is black and white with vertical stripes going from its head.

Susan says, IT'S ONE OF THE WORST PESTS
OF PUMPKINS AND SQUASHES.

Chloe says, IT LOOKS SO SMALL.
HOW CAN IT BE SO DANGEROUS?

Susan says, ONE OF THE THINGS IT DOES
IS IT SUCKS THE JUICES
OUT OF THE PLANTS WHEN
THE PLANTS ARE STILL YOUNG
SO THAT THEY NEVER GET BIG
AND VINY LIKE THIS.
AND THE OTHER THING IT DOES,
IS IT TRANSFERS A BACTERIA
FROM ITS GUT
THROUGH ITS SALIVA
INTO THE PLANT,
AND IT CAUSES SOMETHING CALLED
BACTERIAL WILT.

Flowers in a field of pumpkins are wilted. Text reads, Bacterial Wilt.

Susan says, AND ONCE A PLANT HAS BACTERIAL
WILT, IT'S DONE FOR.

Housten says, EW!

Susan says, YEAH, IT'S PRETTY GROSS, EH?

Leo says, DON'T BE MESSING
WITH PUMPKIN PIE
OR JACK-O'-LANTERNS, BEETLES.
GO FIND SOMEBODY ELSE TO PEST.

Chloe says, HEY, IS THAT ONE
SUFFERING FROM THE BEETLE?

She points to a wilting flower.

Susan says, NO, IT IS WILTING,
THOUGH, BECAUSE THESE FLOWERS,
THEY ONLY LAST SIX HOURS,
REMEMBER?
THEY OPEN AT DAWN, AND THEN,
THEY'RE CLOSED BY NOON,
AND SO, THAT FLOWER IS IN
THE FINAL STAGES OF WILTING.

A flower wilts in a timelapse.

Chloe asks, WILL IT OPEN UP AGAIN
TOMORROW?

Susan says, NO, THESE FLOWERS
ARE FINISHED.
SO, THEY JUST LAST ONE DAY.
TOMORROW THERE WILL BE A WHOLE
NEW CROP OF FLOWERS.
THAT MEANS THAT THE BEES
ARE FINISHED FOR TODAY.
THEY'RE FINISHED POLLINATING
AND THEY'RE FINISHED MATING,
BUT THERE'S LOTS FOR US TO DO.

Chloe says, YES!

Housten asks, CAN WE GO LOOK
AT THE COOL POLLEN, NOW?

Susan says, FOR SURE, LET'S GO!

Leo says, ONE HOT TOPIC THAT EVERYONE
IS ALWAYS BUZZING ABOUT...

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

Leo says, …IS POLLEN!
POLLEN IS ESSENTIAL
FOR PLANT REPRODUCTION.
WHEN IT'S MOVED
FROM ONE FLOWER TO ANOTHER,
THE POLLEN ACTIVATES THE FLOWER
TO TURN INTO A SET OF SEEDS
OR EVEN FRUIT.
AND NOT ALL POLLEN IS THE SAME.
IN FACT, POLLEN IS DIFFERENT
FROM FLOWER TO FLOWER.
THIS LIFE-GIVING DUST
EVEN COMES IN TRENDY COLOURS
LIKE BLUE, PURPLE, AND WHITE.
SINCE INSECT POLLINATORS
CAN'T SEE COLOURS LIKE RED,
MORE PLANTS PRODUCE
THE CLASSIC YELLOW POLLEN,
WHICH IS EASY TO SEE
FOR A BEE.

Bees pollinate different flowers.

Leo says, WHETHER IN BIG CHUNKS,
OR FINE POWDER,
BRIGHT YELLOW FROM AN ASTER,
OR BOLD BLUE
FROM A SIBERIAN SQUILL,
POLLEN IS FOREVER BUZZ-WORTHY.

Susan peels the pedal off a squash blossom. She scrapes the flower’s pollen into a tube. She shakes the tube in a liquid and draws the mixed liquid out with a syringe. Susan puts a drop of the liquid beneath a microscope.

She says, CHLOE, WHY DON'T YOU
TAKE THE FIRST LOOK?

Chloe says, ALL RIGHT.

She looks through the microscope.

She says, THAT'S SO COOL!
THEY LOOK LIKE REALLY
MINI EGG YOLKS ALMOST.
YOU'VE GOTTA SEE THIS,
HOUSTEN.

Housten looks through the microscope.

He says, WHOA, I SEE SO MANY!
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT
THERE'S SO MANY SMALL GRAINS
IN ONE PIECE OF POLLEN.

Susan says, YEAH!
IN ONE ANTHER, THERE ARE LIKE,
30,000 POLLEN GRAINS.

Housten gasps.

He says, THAT'S A LOT.

Choe says, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING
IS SET UP
FOR SQUASH BEES TO BE
INCREDIBLE POLLINATORS.

Housten says, BUT WHERE DID THEY ALL GO?

Susan says, THE FEMALES HAVE ALL
GONE BACK TO THEIR NESTS
BECAUSE THEY'RE FINISHED
FORAGING FOR THE DAY.
AND THE MALES ARE ALL SLEEPING
IN THE WILTED FLOWERS.
WE CAN'T SEE THEM RIGHT NOW.

Chloe says, I WANNA SEE A SLEEPING BEE!

Susan says, WELL, LET'S GO LOOK!

(Cheerful music plays)

She, Chloe and Housten return to the pumpkin field. Chloe peels back a wilted squash blossom, revealing a bee.

Chloe says, HI!

The bee flies out of the flower and Chloe giggles.

She says, BYE!

Housten looks in a wilted flower. Chloe continues searching the field. A bee rests in a flower.

Chloe says, IT'S SO CUTE.

Susan says, YEAH, THEY CRAWL INTO
THESE FLOWERS FOR THE NIGHT
WHERE THEY'RE PROTECTED
FROM PREDATORS, LIKE BIRDS.

Chloe says, THEY'RE SO SMART.

Housten says, AND SERIOUSLY CUTE.

Susan smiles.

Chloe says, I HONESTLY THINK THEY MIGHT
BE MY FAVOURITE POLLINATOR YET.

Susan says, WELL, I'M WITH YOU, THERE.
I LEARNED TO LOVE
THESE POLLINATORS
ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO
WHEN I FIRST MET THEM
AND HELD THEM IN MY HANDS,
AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN STING ME.
AND I'VE BEEN STUDYING THEM
EVER SINCE.
IT'S THE ONLY BEE THAT I STUDY.

Housten says, THEY'RE LIKE THE PERFECT
POLLINATOR.
YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS,
CHLOE.

Chloe grins.

She says, HIGH FLY TIME.

Housten says, YOU FLUTTER, AND THEN
YOU GO HIGH IN THE SKY.

He, Chloe and Susan wiggle their fingers then raise their hands above their heads.

Together they cheer, HIGH FLY!!

Leo says, I'M SO TOTALLY IMPRESSED
WITH THE SQUASH BEE,
AND EVEN THE SQUASH PLANT.

Leo watches a bee on one of the monitors.

Leo says, THIS IS SOME POLLINATOR
PERFECTION RIGHT HERE.
WE HAVE TO SPREAD THE WORD.
POLLINHEADS ALERT!

A flower reads, PollinHeads Alert!

Leo says, IF YOU WANNA HELP OUT THIS VIP
PLANT MORE SQUASH IN
YOUR GARDEN
AND TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW
ABOUT THE AMAZING SQUASH BEE.
LET'S MAKE SURE THE SQUASH BEES
GET RECOGNIZED
AS THE VERY IMPORTANT
POLLINATOR THEY ARE.
I WILL NEVER LOOK
AT A JACK-O'-LANTERN
OR PIECE OF PUMPKIN PIE
WITHOUT THINKING OF OUR
BELOVED SQUASH BEE.
HMM, I NEED A SNACK.
LATER, POLLINATORS.

(Bright music plays)

Leo watches credits roll on a monitor.

Directed by Melissa Peters.

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 tvokids.

Fifth Ground Entertainment.