Lawns to Legumes - Improve Pollinator Habitat

Minnesota has started a new program to transform urban lawns into pollinator habitat .  This post, from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, describes that program.   

Minnesota residents can now apply for assistance to create pollinator habitat in their yards through a new Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) program. Lawns to Legumes, the Minnesota program designed to help at-risk pollinators, supports habitat projects that can encompass an entire yard.

Beginning gardeners and those with limited space can make a difference with as little as 10 square feet.  Feb. 28 is the deadline to apply for up to $350 in reimbursement. But that’s just part of the program to establish native vegetation, which has garnered national attention since its development last summer. By early January, approximately 400 people had participated in free workshops and 175 participated in online webinars. More online and in-person workshops are being planned for spring.

​Free online planting guides are available to anyone.  An emphasis is on protecting the federally endangered rusty patched bumblebee, Minnesota’s state bee. BWSR partnered with Metro Blooms and Blue Thumb: Planting for Clean Water, a collaboration of nonprofits supporting pollinators, to launch the program open to Minnesota residents.