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TurfMutt Foundation Advocates for Pollinators, Habitat-Rich Green Spaces As National Pollinator Month unfolds in June, the TurfMutt Foundation urges everyone to support vital pollinator populations, such as birds, bees, butterflies and bats, in their family yards, parks, community gardens, greenways, municipal golf courses and other community green areas. These living landscapes can provide essential shelter and food for important pollinators. “Pollinators are the unsung heroes of the natural world, and are essential in growing fruits, vegetables and flowers,” says Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation, which advocates for the care and use of managed green space. “By creating and maintaining healthy green spaces in our communities and backyards, we can directly support their survival and contribute to a healthier planet.” A recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll for the TurfMutt Foundation revealed that connecting with nature (60 percent) and observing wildlife (51 percent) are among the most enjoyed activities in public green spaces, like public parks, underscoring the shared value these areas provide for both people, pets and pollinators. The TurfMutt Foundation offers four ways communities can tap into the power of green space for pollinators: 1. Prioritize plants for your climate zone: Plant, tree and shrub species that naturally occur in your region are more beneficial to local pollinators than invasive
species that can disrupt the ecosystem. Milkweed, for instance, is particularly valuable for monarch butterflies – a fantastic addition to any public green space. 2. Plant for continuous blooms: Selecting a variety of nectar-rich, flowering plants and shrubs that bloom at different times during the year ensures continuous support for pollinators. 3. Empower young pollinator advocates: Create programs to engage children in becoming pollinator champions. TurfMutt’s free STEMbased lesson plans include an activity called Protecting Pollinators to help students learn how to design a green space where pollinators will thrive. 4. Foster community stewardship: Foster community engagement to support pollinators through volunteer opportunities and pollinator-specific events. Encourage your community to plan for and protect parks, community gardens, green school yards and other community green space. For inspiration, consult the National Recreation & Park Association’s Parks & Pollinators resource. To learn more about how to create pollinator-friendly green spaces, explore the TurfMutt Foundation’s International Backyarding Fact Book and sign up for Mutt Mail here. Follow the adventures of Mulligan the TurfMutt on the CBS Lucky Dog television and Mission Unstoppable shows on Saturday mornings.
State (IN): insufficient planning, funding pauses summer meals program By Whitney Downard, Indiana Capital Chronicle Indiana Gov. Mike Braun’s second-in-command, along with a key executive branch agency, pointed to a lack of planning under Gov. Eric Holcomb’s administration as the reason hungry Hoosier schoolchildren won’t be able to use a summer meals program. “The previous administration did not file for SUN Bucks in the way they should have,” Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith told a crowd at a Zionsville town hall on Tuesday. “I’m working with Gov. Braun to get those SUN Bucks dollars back.” That “lapse,” along with other perceived failures of Holcomb, were part of what propelled the duo into office, Beckwith continued. Last year, 669,000 Hoosier children who qualified for food benefits and reduced-price school meals got an additional $120 while schools were closed for the summer, for a total of roughly $80 million. But Indiana opted out of the program this year, saying that Holcomb’s administration hadn’t done the legwork in advance of 2025. Oversight costs for the program would be roughly $3.7 million for the state, according to the administration, a tough sell following the state’s projected $2 billion revenue shortfall earlier this year. In response, budget writers trimmed nearly every agency by 5% and sharply cut into economic
development and public health programs. “The successful implementation of the SUN Bucks program required early planning and strategic coordination to launch in Summer 2025. To ensure a timely rollout, the Division of Family Resources (DFR) needed clear direction from state leadership during late summer to early fall of 2024, during the prior administration,” Marcus Barlow told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Barlow is the deputy chief of staff and director of the office of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs for the Family and Social Services Administration, which administers the program alongside the Department of Education. He said “due to the complexity of procurement processes and system enhancements,” the Holcomb administration should have done the following before 2025, which is when Braun took office: Finalize contract amendments with the Electronic Benefit Transfer processor to allocate funding for Summer EBT Secure a system vendor to support technical enhancements and application processing for 2025 Summer EBT, or S-EBT, is the official name for the SUN Bucks program. The Food and Nutrition Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, handles the program at the federal level.
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