Unsung Heroes of Pollination

“Against the trite, simplistic and inaccurate mantra of ‘one in three bites we eat is thanks to honey bees’, Unsung Heroes of Pollination: More than the Birds and the Bees is a nuanced, detailed and engaging looking into the fascinating and complex phenomenon of pollination. Whilst not excluding native bees (my passion), Bernhardt delves deep into the diversity of pollination strategies, and pollinators, that have evolved. This book is a must-read for any naturalist.” – Dr Kit Prendergast * Australian pollination ecologist *
“This is a brilliant book for both garden historians and gardeners. Yes I know they often overlap! …Simply put, this book is to plant nerds like the author a wonderful mind exercise.” – Max Bourke * Australian Garden History Society *
“If you have an interest in the complexities of plant reproduction, you’ll love Peter Bernhardt’s Unsung Heroes of Pollination… It’s a scholarly excursion, written with lighthearted charm and sprinkled with interesting anecdotes.” – Helen Young * The Weekend Australian *
“This book is a really clever insight into some of the perhaps less commonly known pollinators… There’s also excellent illustrations and colour images in this book, in which there is a lot to learn. Bernhardt writes in a light hearted style with lots of anecdotes that keep the read equally amusing and interesting.” – Phil Tucak * Wildlife Outreach Vet *

Professor Peter Bernhardt is a widely read expert on pollination, whose career includes stints in the USA, China, Australia and fieldwork around the world. He is the author/co-author of more than 100 scientific papers and 23 books and chapters, including popular books on plant life such as Wily Violets and Underground Orchids, Natural Affairs, The Rose’s Kiss, and Gods and Goddesses in The Garden.

From 1990 to 1996, his column, ‘The Botanical Detective,’ appeared in The Sydney Review, and his articles were also published in Natural History Magazine, Garden, Plant Talk, and Good Gardening Australia and New Zealand. He remains a foreign correspondent and commentator for ‘The Science Show’ on Radio Australia.

In 2022, Peter received the scientific outreach award from the American Society of Plant Taxonomists for outstanding contributions to public education in Systematic Botany. Peter remains a supporter of the Nutcote Museum in Neutral Bay, NSW and the Kunming Institute of Botany in Yunnan, China.

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