The Lawns to Legumes program will be holding at least 20 workshops around Minnesota to teach landowners how to make their yards more pollinator-friendly. Efforts are also being made to change local ordinances that require short, grass-only lawns.
The program also provides funding to homeowners within the habitat of the endangered rusty patched bumblebee, who can apply for up to $500 to help convert their yard to bumblebee habitat.
According to Dan Shaw, senior ecologist for the Board of Water and Soil Resources:
“There is research showing that even small plantings can provide a lot
of benefit for pollinators, especially if we have enough of them and can
create a matrix of the habitat, it can provide a lot of benefits for
different pollinators.”
if just eight more people donate, we can pay for one whole session!
what is the okra project?
“The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever we can reach them.
During the Middle Passage, our African ancestors snuck okra onto captive ships to sustain themselves and plant in the new world. Black Diasporic cooking traditions often use the okra plant for its versatility and it is often associated with health, prosperity, and community.
In this spirit, The Okra Project hopes to extend free, delicious, and nutritious meals to Black Trans people experiencing food insecurity.”
how does it work?
“It’s actually very simple! Based on individual donations, The Okra Project pays Black Trans chefs to go into the homes of Black Trans people to cook them a healthy and home-cooked meal at absolutely no cost to our Black TGNC siblings. For those Black Trans folks currently experiencing homeless or whose homes cannot support our chef’s cooking, The Okra Project has partnered with institutions like Osborne Association and other community spaces to deliver foods.”
