Heat waves. Torrential rains. Habitat loss. More and more, Minnesota and its inhabitants of all shapes and sizes are feeling the impacts of a changing landscape and climate. Especially hard hit are those in our city, where surfaces like roads, roofs and parking lots absorb the sun’s heat, creating urban heat islands. These surfaces, along with expansive lawns, are hostile places for pollinators looking for food and shelter, and they send vast amounts of stormwater runoff into sewers that empty polluted water into our lakes and rivers. Resilient yards offset these impacts. They help cool, provide shade, and soak in rain. They also provide habitat for our struggling pollinators and other wildlife. This spring, Blue Thumb will offer greater focus on pollinator-friendly practices in its Lawns to Legumes workshops about creating resilient yards.
Participants can choose from three options — Resilient Yards, Turf Alternatives, and Healthy Soils — to learn sustainable practices ranging from installing a raingarden to replacing a conventional lawn to protecting the living earth that makes up healthy soil. In addition, participants will learn about Lawns to Legumes, a new state program offering grants and other support to help Minnesotans protect the endangered rusty patched bumblebee and other at-risk pollinators by putting in native pocket plantings, beneficial trees and shrubs and pollinator lawns and meadows. Blue Thumb coordinates part of the Lawns to Legumes program in partnership with the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources.
“Pollinator conservation can be as simple as allowing clover to bloom within your lawn, or installing a few native perennials. Small actions like these can have great impacts when adopted by communities that have the proper information and guidance,” says James Wolfin, an expert on bee-friendly lawns and a manager of the Lawns to Legumes program for Blue Thumb.
Workshops cost $15 unless otherwise noted and will be offered throughout the spring starting in March. Participants will learn practical info about installing projects, as well as Lawns to Legumes and other cost-share programs and resources that can help get a project in the ground. Info: bluethumb.org/events/ or 651-699-2426.
Resilient Yards Workshop (3 hours) A framework for understanding and creating resilience, covering site planning, raingardens, turf alternatives, trees, other plantings, pollinator habitat, and more. Includes one-on-one design assistance for individual yards from Blue Thumb landscape designers, Hennepin County Master Gardeners, Master Water Stewards.
Turf Alternatives Workshop (2 hours) Alternatives to conventional grass turf that require less watering and fewer chemical inputs, with step-by-step instructions for establishing them. Includes information about pollinator-friendly (bee) lawns. Group will discuss common challenges and solutions.
Healthy Soils Workshop (2 hours) Laying the groundwork for healthy soil. Healthy soil helps plants thrive, filters and cleans water, prevents erosion and is teeming with life. Participants learn why healthy soil is the foundation of a resilient yard and how to take action to strengthen and protect their soil.
Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water, a network of public and private partners working towards planting for clean water and pollinators, is coordinated by Metro Blooms, a nonprofit committed to resilient communities through the promotion, design, installation, and care of sustainable landscapes. Blue Thumb is working with MN Board of Water and Soil Resource to deliver workshops and individual assistance for the Lawns to Legumes program. Workshops are supported by: the cities of Minneapolis, Plymouth, St. Louis Park, and Edina; Hennepin County Master Gardeners; Master Water Stewards; Rice Creek Watershed District; Washington County Conservation District.
Find workshops at bluethumb.org/events.