Altlawns

Altlawns

Altlawns creates community while increasing biodiverse native habitat in place of lawns by providing community education and support to local residents. 

In fiscal 2024-2025 Altlawns served 2000 metro residents at about 60 events. We have robust online community discussion and education as well as in-person events.

Even though many people are aware of the endangered Rusty Patched bumble bee and Monarch butterfly, each year brings smaller bird and insect populations as well as alarmingly fewer species. Conservationists agree that the solution lies in creating a patchwork of native habitats in private land. We are creating a network of year-round homes and food for a wide range of wildlife. 

Richfield and Bloomington 

We remain hyper-local for civic engagement, planting soft landing gardens in municipal parks, and neighbor-to-neighbor help. We help those with life events or disabilities with habitat projects, asking them to pay it forward by supporting future neighbor-to-neighbor events. We believe that all have something to offer whether spreading wood chips, sketching us while we work, pouring hot cocoa, helping kids cook marshmallows, taking photos, or motivating with a joke.

By reducing the size of our lawns and replacing them with native plants we reduce stormwater runoff, eliminate chemicals and petroleum use, and decrease ground surface temperatures. Richfield and Bloomington historically have some of the hottest ground surface temperature zones in the metro area per Hennepin Climate Action Plan. Richfield and Bloomington are in the path of a major flyway (bird highway) and or habitats become critical landing sites during bird, butterfly, and dragonfly migration. 

We found some joyful information from 72 responses during our first community survey.

We are about habitat and connections.

Altlawns community passes it on.

The communities represented by our Facebook members have a number of MN State Lawns to Legumes grant. (through Spring '25 cohort)

Altlawns winter sown plants going out at cost

Altlawns Events

• Seed Exchange

• Nature art

• Growing plants from seeds - winter sowing

• Up-potting and swapping plants

• Container planting for renters

• Spring shrub distribution

• Early summer plant sale

• Site Visits to member yards

• Garden tours

• Rain barrel installation

• Soft landings in local parks

• Foraging

Winter sowing together. 

2026 Goals that need your support

2023 Site visit at Beverly'sExpanding programming to multi-unit housing.

We receive a Hennepin County Green Partner grants for adult programming. 

We want to add youth parallel programming so parents can attend and focus on learning and working.

We need to cover administrative costs like insurance, website hosting, volunteer gratitude, and support our process to 501c3 status. These are not covered by current grant funds.

Support us as we emerge from an organically created group into a strong 501c3 healing our environment and relationships. 

2025 Site visit at Beverly'sAva J T McKnight started Altlawns as a Facebook group in response to online resident questions and concerns around native habitat, Japanese beetles, stormwater issues, and climate change. Richfield and parts of Bloomington are in an area of the metro area where the cities are just beginning a natural resources survey. The watershed Minnehaha Creek Watershed District does not have residential grant or education programming. The Bloomington Richfield Water Management Organization created the first residential cost share grants in 2025! We are grateful for the partnership and listening that brought this inaugural offering to citizens in its region. 

Altlawns is showing up.

Stay in touch with us!

Follow our Altlawns Public Facebook Page for public events, p

hotos of events, and sharable information.

To be active part of the community, join 941 Private Facebook group members for photos, discussion, and private events.

(to be approved, answer all questions and rules)

Website: Altlawns.org

We appreciate all the community support and encouragement we have received. Thank you for your donations. Thank you for your work with us.

NOTE: The Richfield Foundation is also conducting GiveMN and has the match. Our campaign does not have the match but is tax decductible.