FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary Juhl (612-358-5733)
St. Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) is now accepting applications for the Lawns to Legumes program, which aims to increase residential habitat for at-risk pollinators across the state. All Minnesota residents are eligible to apply for individual support grants, which reimburse gardeners for up to $300 in costs associated with establishing pollinator habitat in their yards.
Lawns to Legumes offers a combination of workshops, coaching, planting guides and cost-share funding for installing pollinator-friendly native plantings in residential lawns. The program launched in 2019 with a $900,000 appropriation from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). BWSR received more than 7,500 applications for individual support grants during the program’s first year, demonstrating a significant demand for funding. This year, the program received two additional ENRTF appropriations totaling nearly $2 million to extend program opportunities to more Minnesota residents.
“The high demand for individual support grants shows that Lawns to Legumes resonates deeply with Minnesota residents by providing them with concrete action steps they can take to benefit pollinators,” said BWSR Executive Director John Jaschke. “We’re excited to build off this momentum and offer opportunities to even more Minnesotans who want to play a role in combatting pollinator population decline.”
How to apply: Apply online at Blue Thumb’s website. Applications will be accepted through February 15, 2022. Funding decisions and all notifications will be emailed in March 2022. Grant recipients have until December 15, 2022 to install their projects.
BWSR partners with Metro Blooms and Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water to administer the program. For more information on Lawns to Legumes, see BWSR’s website.
