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.”
