Arboretum’s Bloom Box Program Receives National Award
The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s Bloom Box program received the 2021 Program Excellence Award from the American Public Gardens Association this June.
The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum established Bloom Box in 2016 to get ready-to-plant pollinator plants to homes, schools, parks and other private and public lands. Its purpose is to educate about how to plant habitat for pollinators; distribute personally curated groups of plants for landscapes of varying sizes and conditions; and make gardening more accessible and doable for people who want to support the environment.
Through this program:
852 waterwise pollinator-friendly gardens have been planted
25,299 native plants have been distributed
153 communities and 57 schools have planted landscapes designed with pollinators in mind
More than 82,000 square feet of land have been devoted to more sustainable, pollinator-friendly landscaping
“The program has been enthusiastically embraced by Nebraska gardeners since its beginning in 2016. Receiving this award confirms its value as a model for increasing pollinator habitat nationwide,” said Mark Brohman, Executive Director of the Nebraska Environmental Trust, a beneficiary of the Nebraska Lottery, which helped fund the program.
The award was granted by the American Public Gardens Association for innovative programs modelling education, conservation, sustainability and outreach. More information about Bloom Box at https://plantnebraska.org/your-yard/bloom-box/.