Don't Forget to Apply to Showcase Your Backyard Habitat by February 29!

This application is for Franklin business owners and residents that have an existing, established habitat to be showcased during the BEE Program field day on Friday, May 10, 2024 between 10a and 2p. Participants of the BEE Program will be bussed around Town for a tour to visit and experience established habitats and we would love to have you as a stop on our tour! Applications and habitats will be reviewed and confirmed by the Franklin Conservation Agent/Natural Resource Protection Manager and an unbiased third-party organization. the Friends of Franklin Conservation. Two habitats will be chosen to be showcased and the property owner must agree to allow their habitat to be shown during the field day to receive an honorarium. The honorarium is $400 per person and expected to be invested back into the existing habitat. (Plants are expensive!) 

Examples of eligible habitats include, but are not limited to, pollinator friendly gardens with non-native, but non-invasive vegetation; native gardens; a managed forest with a Forest Cutting Plan and/or Forest Stewardship Plan; a forest managed for birds; a wetland replication or restoration; an established raingarden; a native grass lawn; a habitat in progress; etc. Ideally, established habitats should have food/forage for wildlife species, cover/nesting material for wildlife species, and a diverse array of vegetation throughout all seasons. Questions if your habitat qualifies? Reach out to Breeka Li Goodlander via email at bgoodlander@franklinma.gov or via phone at (508) 520-4847. 

This application is open between February 2, 2024 and closes February 29, 2024. Applications chosen to receive the honorarium will be determined by March 15, 2024. All applicants, regardless if chosen for the honorarium, will be contacted shortly thereafter with the third-party decision. By submitting this application, you agree to let the Conservation Agent/Natural Resource Protection Manager and/or a representative of the Friends of Franklin Conservation Group visit your habitat to confirm habitat qualification prior to a decision being made.

Should you wish to showcase your habitat to BEE Program participants regardless of an honorarium, please still fill out the form by clicking the below QR code or visiting bit.ly/BEEProgramExistingHab and answer the last question in the registration form.

Please note that even if your habitat is not yet established, we will still gladly consider your application for the honorarium. We realize that habitats take time to develop and our goal is not only to show BEE Program participants a variety of habitats in all different stages of development, but to gift the honorarium to someone that could use it to complete their own backyard habitat.