Last updated: March 25, 2021
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Mystery of the Broken Branch Stop 2: Pollination Station
Follow the Trail
Follow the trail with Ranger Sarah and a group kids as they search the Tidal Basin for clues about the cherry trees. You can follow along this mystery adventure from home or when visiting the Cherry Blossom Festival at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC.
The image is a map for a kids activity called "Junior Ranger Story: The Mystery of the Broken Branch". Each activity directs participants to a place on the map. The map centered around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. The trail has blue dots numbered clockwise around the Tidal Basin marked with numbers 1 through 12 and named for the title of the individual activity at that location.
The map legend says "Story Trail Guide". Stops marked on the map include:
Stop 1: The Trail Begins, which is located on the east end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 2: Pollination Station, which is located to the south of Stop 1 on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 3: Write Your Own Haiku, which is located along the Tidal Basin near Maine Avenue.
Stop 4: Cherry Trees Around the World, which is located on the Tidal Basin near the intersection of Basin Drive and Ohio Drive.
Stop 5: Jefferson Memorial, which is located at the Jefferson Memorial plaza on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 6: Japanese Pagoda, which is located at a stone pagoda structure on the west side of the Tidal Basin near the south end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 7: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, which starts at the north end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and continues through the memorial.
Stop 8: The Tree with the Broken Branch, which is located near West Basin Drive just north of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 9: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is located on the plaza of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 10: Festival History, which is located along the Tidal Basin just east of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 11: Hanami, which is located on the Tidal Basin near Independence Avenue between the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Kutz Memorial Bridge.
Stop 12: Japanese Lantern, which is located at a stone lantern statue on the west end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
The map legend says "Story Trail Guide". Stops marked on the map include:
Stop 1: The Trail Begins, which is located on the east end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 2: Pollination Station, which is located to the south of Stop 1 on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 3: Write Your Own Haiku, which is located along the Tidal Basin near Maine Avenue.
Stop 4: Cherry Trees Around the World, which is located on the Tidal Basin near the intersection of Basin Drive and Ohio Drive.
Stop 5: Jefferson Memorial, which is located at the Jefferson Memorial plaza on the Tidal Basin.
Stop 6: Japanese Pagoda, which is located at a stone pagoda structure on the west side of the Tidal Basin near the south end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 7: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, which starts at the north end of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and continues through the memorial.
Stop 8: The Tree with the Broken Branch, which is located near West Basin Drive just north of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Stop 9: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is located on the plaza of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 10: Festival History, which is located along the Tidal Basin just east of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Stop 11: Hanami, which is located on the Tidal Basin near Independence Avenue between the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Kutz Memorial Bridge.
Stop 12: Japanese Lantern, which is located at a stone lantern statue on the west end of the Kutz Memorial Bridge on Independence Avenue.
Stop 2: Pollination Station
Head to Stop 2 in the Cherry Blossom Festival area. Read the following story and see if you can guess the answers correctly.
NPS Photo
Imani stayed behind, looking at the flower. “Ranger Sarah, what were you doing with the flower?”
“Ah, an excellent question! I was watching something very exciting happen. Come on, gather around and take a look.”
The kids gathered around the delicate pink flower laying on the ground. Ranger Sarah pointed to the opening of the flower.
“If you look inside very carefully, you’ll see a small bee,” she said.
“A bee? I’m afraid of bees!” Taylor cried out.
“There’s no need to be scared,” Ranger Sarah replied, speaking quietly so she didn’t startle the bee. “They don’t want to sting you at all; they would much rather fly away if they have a chance. Of course, like all wild creatures they deserve respect and space. This bee is doing something very important, almost magical."
As they watched, the blossom on the ground shook and a bee crawled out.
NPS Photo
“Do you see all that yellow stuck to its legs? That’s pollen. Flowers make pollen, and their pollen has to get to other flowers. This is called pollination, and it's how plants make seeds. That's one of the most important parts of helping new plants grow!”
“Did the bee buzz to warn us to give it space?” Haru asked.
“Not at all! It buzzed to shake the flower inside and help shake more pollen loose. The pollen sticks to its fuzzy legs, and when it flies on to another flower…” as they watched, the bee took off and landed on the next tree, climbing into a blossom hanging from a branch. “And the pollen reaches that flower! We need pollination to happen for all kinds of plants to grow, including lots of the ones we eat, like delicious fruits and vegetables!”
“Are bees the only pollinators?” Jamal asked curiously.
“There are lots of pollinators! Bees certainly, also butterflies, moths, all sorts of insects, even some birds help out.”
“Wow! I guess that makes bees seem less scary,” Taylor said, standing to look more closely at the bee. “And they are pretty fuzzy — you might even say they’re cute!”
“I think so!” Ranger Sarah agreed. “Alright, why don’t you show me where you found this broken branch. Maybe we’ll find a clue!”
Pollination Station Activity
Enter the Pollination Station to play a game about cherry blossom pollinators!