Bur Oak Land Trust introduced the Backyard Biodiversity Project this year offering community members one of two plant bundles. Its goal is to bring more biodiversity and more habitat for bees and birds with native plants.

Community members with an Iowa City zipcode can participate. Participants must register at https://buroaklandtrust-bloom.kindful.com/e/native-shrub-project and choose to receive either a plant bundle or container prairie. One bundle or container per household.

Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 4. Successful community members will be notified of pickup details that will occur in mid-April.

The plant bundle has four bare root shrubs: Arrowwood viburnum, hazelnut, serviceberry and wild plum and planting instructions. Shrubs were grown by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The container prairie includes: purple prairie clover, wild petunia and smooth blue aster in a five-gallon plastic pot. The plants were locally grown by Troutleaf Native Plants.

The project was brought to life by a Climate Action grant funded by the City of Iowa City.

The mission of the nonprofit organization, formed in 1978, is advancing biodiversity in eastern Iowa by protecting resilient landscapes and connecting people to nature.

Native shrubs, like serviceberry, wild plum and arrowwood viburnum, are more resilient to the impacts of climate change, like soil erosion, drought or flooding, and return year after year. Plants were selected for the Backyard Biodiversity Project to provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies, native bees and other pollinators better than nonnative plants.

Bur Oak Land Trust preserves are protected lands in eastern Iowa full of plants and wildlife, and many are open to the public year-round. Check the website for locations https://buroaklandtrust.org/preserves.

Email questions to info@buroaklandtrust.org or call 319-338-7030.