LtW App Launch Press Release
University of Central Florida, Sharanowski Lab
Contact: Dr. Nash Turley
Email: lawnwildflowers@gmail.com Phone: (517) 898-0425
New, Award-Winning App
Engages the Public to Save
Bees and Other Pollinators
The Lawn to Wildflowers App guides users through planting gardens that support critical pollinator species and has interactive games for training users to collect data on pollinators.
Bees and native pollinator populations are steadily declining around the world, but with the launch of the free Lawn to Wildflowers app today, anyone can help conserve local pollinator populations by creating a native flower garden. Developed by scientists at the University of Central Florida, and winner of a Horizon Interactive Award, the app guides users through planting pollinator-friendly gardens and trains them to identify pollinators so they can contribute to science with real-world data collection!
“Habitat loss is the single most important factor causing the decline in insect pollinators,” says Dr. Nash Turley, Ecologist and Co-founder of Lawn to Wildflowers. “Insect pollinators cannot survive without flowers, so planting a variety of native wildflowers is the best thing that people can do to help pollinators. We’ve simplified the process of planting a native wildflower garden to get you started.”
“[Lawn to Wildflowers] sounds like a great way to get people involved in pollinator conservation and have gorgeous native plant gardens,” says Anna Funk, associate editor of Discover Magazine who is not involved in the project. “The data the group will be able to collect should be really enlightening to researchers who are thinking about how people across North America can create more habitat for pollinators.”
About Lawn to Wildflowers
Lawn to Wildflowers is a non-profit, public science initiative founded by researchers at the University of Central Florida. The app engages the public to support and monitor pollinator biodiversity through the guided construction of wildflower gardens. Subsequent research will use observations documented by app users to study changes in the health of pollinator populations. The app includes interactive identification games that the whole family can play, providing a fun way to get everyone to learn about backyard biodiversity and conservation.
Be a champion of local pollinators and download the Lawn to Wildflowers app, available now in Google Play and Apple Store!
