Altlawns of Richfield and Bloomington

Altlawns of Richfield and Bloomington

Altlawns is a community-based organization creating biodiverse native habitat in place of lawns by providing community education and support to local residents. Altlawns has 750 private group facebook members with robust online discussion 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. These habitats also become critical landing sites during bird migration; we are located in a major flyway. 

By reducing the size of our lawns and replacing them with native plants and a multi-storied tree canopy, we also reduce stormwater runoff, eliminate chemical use, and decrease ground surface temperatures. Richfield and Bloomington have some of the hottest ground surface temperature zones in the metro area. 

Upcoming 2024-2025 Altlawns Events

• Seed Exchange

• Nature art

• Growing Plants from Seeds/Winter Sowing Workshop

• Up-potting and distributing plants

• Spring shrub sale

• Early summer plant sale

• Site Visits to member yards

• Garden tour

• Rain Barrel Workshop

Our current goals include moving from home owner programming to multi-unit housing. We remain hyper-local in focus but many members find us from surrounding twin cities communities - from Minneapolis, St Paul, Inver Grove Heights, West St Paul, Burnsville, Apple Valleyand as far as Montgomery, Mound and White Bear Lake.

We are raising funds to support to  our programming, cover administrative costs like insurance, website hosting, volunteer gratitude, and support our process to 501c3 status.

Programming is sponsored in part by a Hennepin County Green Partner Grant, private foundations and individual donors. 

Support us as we emerge from an organically created group into a strong 501c3 healing our environment and relationships. Ava J T McKnight started Altlawns as a Facebook group in response to online resident questions and concerns around native habitat, stormwater issues, and climate change. Richfield and parts of Bloomington are in an area of the twin cities that is not being served by cities or watersheds Minnehaha Creek Watershed Districts and Bloomington Richfield Water Management Organization; Altlawns is showing up.

Stay in touch with us!

Altlawns Public Facebook Page

Private group (answer all questions and rules)

Website: Altlawns.org

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

Altlawns in the news! Click to view the video!