Franklin Matters: Register for the Backyard Ecosystem Education (BEE) Program Today

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Register for the Backyard Ecosystem Education (BEE) Program Today

Registration Open Until February 29, 2024

The Backyard Ecosystem Education (BEE) Program is an interactive program for Franklin residents and business owners to design and create a native, biologically diverse habitat at their property. The BEE Program consists of five themed workshops and one field day giving residents and business owners the skills to:

Attract wildlife and plant life to their habitat;
Support their habitat through climate change and other ecological stressors;
Plan and design their backyard habitat with professional practitioners; and
Be considered a Backyard Ecosystem Advocate

Upon successful completion and attendance of the BEE Program, participants will be considered a "Backyard Ecosystem Advocate" and their habitats, once established, will have the opportunity to become "Certified Wildlife Habitats" through the National Wildlife Federation. Register with the QR code above or by visiting https://BIT.LY/BEEPROGRAM.

Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Registration closes February 29, 2024. Registration is available to all residents regardless of ownership/rental status or living situation, all Franklin business owners, and up to five FPS high school students. The Conservation Department is currently collaborating with FPS - STEM to excuse up to five students for the scheduled field day, so students - please apply if you are interested!

Workshop descriptions are listed below. Questions? Email bgoodlander@franklinma.gov.

Workshop Title	Date, Time, and Location	Description
Wildlife	Wednesday, April 3, 2024 4p - 6p Location TBD	Residents will learn common wildlife species that they may find in their backyard habitats and/or how to attract these wildlife species to their habitats.
Plant Life	Wednesday, April 10, 2024 4p - 6p Location TBD	Residents will learn common native and wildlife friendly plants and common invasive plants they may plant and/or find in their backyard habitats.
Landscapes and Regional Context	Wednesday, April 17, 2024 4p - 6p Location TBD	Residents will learn to identify what landscape they live in, its regional context, and how to design a habitat suitable for their surroundings.
Climate and Other Ecological Stressors	Wednesday, April 24, 2024 4p - 6p Location TBD	Residents will learn how to plan their habitat for climate change, design their habitat considering climate resilience, and mitigate future environmental stressors and disturbance events.
Planning and Design	Wednesday, May 1, 2024 4p - 6p Location TBD	Residents will be able to sit down in small groups with professional practitioners to design their own specific backyard habitat applying all lessons learned in previous workshops.
Field Day and Graduation Luncheon	Friday, May 10 10a - 2p Location TBD	Residents will be bussed around Town for a tour of raingardens, biodiversity areas, turtle nesting habitats, regenerative forests, gardens, and more. Lunch and a graduation ceremony will be provided.