Lawns to Legumes Protecting Pollinators in Minnesota
The addition of the rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) to the endangered species list in 2017 did much more than make it the first bumblebee in the United States and the first bee of any kind in the continental U.S. to be declared endangered. The recognition also sparked widespread concern about other pollinator declines; raised awareness about the impact of decreased insect populations on food production and sensitive ecosystems; and inspired Minnesota to launch an innovative statewide pollinator conservation program.
The Minnesota Legislature named the rusty patched bumblebee its state bee in 2019, and in the same session, it approved a cost-share pilot program with the catchy name Lawns to Legumes. Equipped with the slogan “Your Yard Can Bee the Change,” the Lawns to Legumes program encourages residents statewide to use native plants to transform their lawns and landscapes into high-quality pollinator-friendly habitats.
The rusty patched bumblebee was quickly established as the mascot of the Lawns to Legumes program, which heightened interest in gathering data on Minnesota’s 450-plus native bee species, since bumblebees can be indicator species of the health of other bee populations. The status of these populations is key to the program’s long-term goal to decrease the number of at-risk bees and other pollinators and insects losing habitat to climate change, pesticides, plant pathogens, and lack of nutrition.
‘Bee’ the Change
Lawns to Legumes, administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), is
