Our world would be an entirely different place without pollinators. Many of the foods we eat, clothes we wear, medicines we need and the incredible diversity of nature we enjoy would not be found if it were not for these insects and other animals.The following article was written by Tom Koritansky, Natural Resource Manager at Lake Metroparks.Pollinators are a fascinating part of the natural world, and are essential for thriving ecosystems as well as our own survival.Foods such as apples, strawberries, tomatoes and many others all form because they are pollinated by insects. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 150 crops that contribute more than $10 billion to the U.S. economy each year are dependent on pollinators. Some medicines that are derived from plants like foxglove, elderberry and willows would not be produced if it were not for pollinators.Plants that produce seeds need to be pollinated in order to reproduce. The seeds store complete sets of genes needed to create new plants. In order for seeds to develop, genes from different parts of plant flowers must be exchanged. Pollination describes the process of completing this exchange and pollinators are the insects or other animals that help complete it. Pollen, produced in flowers, contains the genes needed to be exchanged. Insects or other animals pollinate plants by collecting pollen, and then transfer it to other parts of the flower where it becomes fertilized, leading to seed growth.When pollinators visit flowers, they are often searching for  pollen and nectar to use as a food source. Pollinators will visit many flowers in their search. As they move about the flower, they collect pollen grains on their bodies. Sometimes pollinators collect pollen on purpose and sometimes it happens accidentally. Nearly 90 percent of plants are pollinated by insects and other animals such as bees, birds, butterflies, beetles, flies, moths and bats.