In partnership with the City of Minneapolis and the Lyndale neighborhood, Spark-Y recently planted the Blaisdell Avenue South bike lane medians with over 2000 native plants. Black-eyed Susan, Fragrant Giant Hyssop, Little Bluestem, Fox Sedge, Golden Alexander, Blue Flag Irises, and Lobelia now grace what was once a bare patch, filled with weeds. The bike lane medians were initially installed in 2020 as part of a larger initiative to provide more protected biking spaces, to increase greenery, and to beautify the neighborhood.
This project will bring a space for pollinators and will increase biodiversity to an area that was previously neglected. Moreover, a median filled with weeds and trash impacts the community it exists within, and Spark-Y’s commitment to empowering youth through ecologically-minded change does not end with the classroom. To create a better future for our youth, we must create an environment in which they can thrive, which is why we bid on and ultimately accepted the contract from the City of Minneapolis.
The design for the medians was done by Emmons and Olivier Resources Inc., a well-acclaimed local environmental consulting firm that specializes in ecological restoration. Volunteers from the EOR team, along with community members and Spark-Y apprentices, came together and planted eleven blocks’ worth of medians. Our apprentices weeded and helped lay out the plants with the help of our staff, Jay from EOR drove around the medians and used an auger to expedite the planting process, and then community volunteers, our staff and apprentices, and city interns worked together to get everything in the ground. It was a truly collaborative effort – the community taking interest and putting effort into improving this space was inspiring.
The native plants were carefully selected by EOR to thrive in the adverse conditions of a bike median. Native plants generally need less water than ornamental and non-native plants once they’re established, provide excellent erosion control, and also support a far broader range of wildlife in the area. By restoring this little patch of available land to something closer to its natural state, Spark-Y hopes to facilitate a tangible change in the atmosphere of the neighborhood through the restoration of these medians.
Over the course of the summer, these plants will need regular watering, maintenance, and weeding. If you can, please join us and support this effort by volunteering to care for a median as we explore ways to help these tiny new ecosystems succeed.