Operation Pollination Challenge

As we welcome in a new Rotary year with District Governor, Elayne Bozick, we look forward to making her signature project Operation Pollination a success. This initiative aligns with Rotary International’s 7th area of focus, supporting the environment and is an ESRAG  (Environmentally Sustainability Rotary Action Group) initiative.

Overview with Q & A’s
 
 
The District Environmental Committee has decided one of the best ways to be successful is by creating a district challenge to motivate and incentivize clubs to get involved in a fun and engaging way. The club that wins the challenge will receive a $1,000 Paul Harris Fellow to give away as they choose.  With this in mind, all points should be reported by May 31, 2025.  This challenge will support the two main goals of Operation Pollination:
  1. Restoring habitat
  2. Educating others
 
The District Environmental Committee has created a resource packet to support the efforts of the clubs as they find creative ways to meet the goals of this important initiative.
     
The very first step is to develop an environmental committee in your club and to sign a pollinator pledge briefly outlining some of the ideas your club will adopt to support Operation Pollination. Please provide the name of your committee chairperson and the pledge to Christine Cope or another member of the district committee.  The chairperson can also be the club president if it is easier due to the size of your club.  Skipping this step will not disqualify your club from winning the challenge but it will be helpful to have a plan. I can also share the Google Drive folder instead of just providing a link.  This can make it easier for some people to access.
 
Included in your packet: 
  • Pollinator Pledge
    • Sign the pledge to give examples of how you intend to support OP in 2024/2025.  It can be signed by your environmental committee chairperson or the club president.  Y
  • Operation Pollination Action List to Earn Points
    • This gives you information on how to earn points. 
    • Minimum points are not required to win the district challenge. The club with the most points will win.
  • Suggestions for Programs, Events, Speakers, etc.
    • There are countless ways to restore habitat and educate.  This is by no means a comprehensive list.  It is meant to provide guidance. 
  • Scoresheet
    • You can use this spreadsheet to keep track of your points.  Print it out or use it electronically. 
    • The clubs will self-report. 
  • Example of Calendar to Plan for Points
    • Included is an example of how I personally plan to make the most points for our club.  I have some work to bring us up to the maximum!
  • List of 2024 Awareness Dates
    • These can be used for social media posts, special programs, speaker topics, newsletters, fellowship and more.
  • Examples of Pollinator Events in the Area
    • These are current events in the area that will become outdated quickly.  They serve as examples of programs and events.  However, they also count for points if a member of your club participates. I Googled pollinator events and these are what I got.
Other resources are available in this Google Drive folder.  There are also folders for each club to share their final score sheets and photos.  Make sure you keep the link somewhere accessible!
    
Bonus points are provided for photos! Take as many as you can.  Share them on social media but make sure to share them in your folder so we can share our success at the end of the Rotary year.
    
On behalf of District Governor Elayne Bozick and the District Environmental Committee, we want to say THANK YOU for making this initiative a success.  It is through the Magic of Rotary that so many people can come together to make a difference!
 
Christine Cope, Chairperson
District 6650 Environmental Committee
330-207-2065