Bees on the Block Overview
🌱 Welcome! Join your neighbors in turning front yards and parkways into thriving native habitat. Each participating household will host two small plots where we’ll test the survival of two planting treatments: plugs in the front yard and seeds in the parkway. We'll explore ecological outcomes of the plants and the social dynamics of block-wide stewardship. No gardening experience needed. By joining, you’ll contribute to socioecological research, support pollinators (including the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee!), and help grow a more biodiverse city - block by block.
PARKWAY =
the grassy strip of land between the sidewalk and street
(aka hellstrip, tree lawn, boulevard, & more)
Time commitment:
December 2025 - November 2027
Minimal required involvement:
• Provide space and care for the plantings
• Participate in up to 2 interviews and 2 surveys
• Optional - Help recruit neighbors if you're able
Beyond that, your level of involvement is entirely up to you!
You'll have optional opportunities to:
• Join workshops
• Participate in community science and data collection
January prep & seeding:
We'll host a webinar in early January to go through all the details and answer any questions!
In January 2026, we’ll give you a 3ft x 3ft cardboard and mulch to suppress the grass in your front yard (a method called sheet mulching).
We’ll also seed native plants into a 5ft x 5ft square in your parkway.
We're happy to seed a larger area of your parkway if you'd like us to.
Spring plugs:
In May 2026, we’ll bring 21 plants of 7 native species for your prepared patch along with a yard sign. You’ll just need to plant and water them, and add a fence around it if you'd like to keep out the bunnies. See FAQs below for species list.
Research activities:
Libby will check in on your plants monthly from June-August. She'll also ask you to complete a few short surveys, and you might be invited to interview up to two times (in fall of 2026 and 2027).
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Notes for consideration:
Time to establish
Native plants may take time to establish, especially from seed. You might not see flowers in the first growing season because the plants are busy building strong roots below the soil to support long-term survival.
Potential spreading and self-seeding
Some species may grow beyond their original planting area as a part of their natural life cycle. For many gardeners, this signals ecological success. For others, it may feel unwelcome. If that’s the case, weeding is always an option.
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FAQs
Why native plants?
Native plants are essential to our urban ecosystem, and even small flower patches can make a difference! When grown without chemicals, they can sequester carbon, purify water and air, reduce stormwater runoff, improve soil health, create habitat, and provide foraging resources for pollinators (including the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee).
Which species are included?
In both the front yard and parkway:
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum), Aquilegia canadensis (Red columbine), Dalea purpurea (Purple prairie clover), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Bradbury's beebalm (Monarda bradburiana), Calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)
Additional plants in the parkway:
Prairie violet (Viola pedatifida), Partridge pea (Chameacrista fasciculata), Yarrow (Achilea milifolium), Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)
What did we learn in the greenhouse?
Before launching this block-wide planting project, we tested 40 native plant species in a greenhouse experiment at the Chicago Botanic Garden. We sprinkled seeds into pots of turfgrass and we were amazed - 34 out of 40 species grew in the grass pots and 20 species had more seedlings in turfgrass than in bare soil!
These findings suggest that some native species may serve as lawn alternatives! Now we’re testing them outdoors to see how they perform in real neighborhoods. Parkways may be ideal spots to create habitat corridors for pollinators, and growing native plants from seeds may be an easy, effective way to do it.
How does this contribute to research?
Many studies show that converting lawns to native plants can support pollinators and improve ecosystem health, but there's a gap between science and action. This study addresses that gap by exploring how neighbors can collectively transform front yards and parkways into connected habitat corridors with foraging resources. By testing planting methods and engaging blocks, we’re examining both ecological outcomes and the social dynamics of shared stewardship.
What are habitat corridors and stepping stones?
Pollinators like bees and butterflies need more than isolated patches of flowers - they need connected pathways to forage, nest, and move between populations.
Habitat corridors are continuous stretches of native plants that link green spaces across neighborhoods, helping pollinators travel safely and maintain genetic diversity.
Stepping stones are smaller patches, like home gardens, that act as mini pit stops, giving pollinators food and shelter as they move through urban areas.
Together, these plantings create a network of support for wildlife, even in densely populated places like Evanston. Your yard can become part of that network!
Community science
You’ll have optional opportunities to join workshops and participate in community science. Topics will include collecting data, using iNaturalist, and identifying the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (and hopefully even spotting one in your garden!). We can also help organize gatherings with your neighbors and other participants if you’d like.
What happens if I'm not selected to participate?
If your block isn’t chosen this year to receive free plants through this project, we might have more opportunities in future years - stay tuned via our newsletter and Instagram. We encourage you to organize your block to buy and grow native plants if you'd like! Your efforts will still contribute to conservation and to our research.
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Additional questions?
Libby will follow up about your application and answer any questions then. In the meantime, feel free to reach out:
Libby Shafer - Student Researcher, PhD student
[email protected]
or
Rebecca Barak - Principal Investigator, PhD
[email protected]
