The Xerces Society is offering free habitat kits that contain native milkweed and pollinator-friendly wildflowers to Wisconsin farmers and community partners who are excited to provide the land, time, and labor to develop and manage a habitat project.
Providing pesticide-free and wildflower-rich habitat is the most significant action we can take to support pollinators. Native plants, which are adapted to local soils and climates, are the best sources of nectar and pollen for native pollinators. The Xerces Society’s WI Pollinator Habitat Kit Program has free native plants to help you complete your habitat goals.
The window for submitting a project proposal form for the 2024 Wisconsin Pollinator Habitat Kit Program will open on January 30th and close on March 4, 2024. Alternatively, if the submission period is closed, you may share your contact info with us to receive habitat kit program updates. Project proposals that are selected and awarded a kit will be able to pick up a habitat kit in late June. We encourage you to review the two WI Habitat Kit guidance documents for suggestions on how to be successful with your project proposal, with site preparation, and with your habitat kit planting: What Makes a Successful Habitat Kit Proposal and Planting and WI Habitat Kit Case Studies.
Qualifying Projects
WI Pollinator Habitat Kits are available for projects located anywhere in the state of Wisconsin, although kit pick-up will be in the Madison area. Kits are to be used by farmers and community food initiatives to create or enhance monarch and pollinator habitats on working lands or in community spaces.
The kits will include a diverse assemblage of native plants suitable for your region and soils. Participants must be able to use the entire kit. However, plants can be distributed amongst different planting areas on the same property, provided split project areas have the same soil type. Participants are responsible for creating a habitat installation and maintenance plan to ensure plants establish and provide long-term conservation benefits. Habitat kits are not available for home/private gardens.
If you have questions about your project’s suitability or requests for technical guidance on your project, please email us at [email protected].
Habitat Kit Description
We are offering two pollinator habitat kits, with each kit designed to suit different soil types:
- Pollinator habitat kit for well-drained soils (medium to dry sites)
- Pollinator habitat kit for wet soils (medium-wet sites)
Your selected kit should match your soils and should be planted in sites with full sun. Both the well-drained and wet soil kits are available in three different sizes and will accommodate plantings that cover 280 to 1200 square feet in total area.
- Small kits include 288 plants and cover 280 to 500 sq. ft.
- Medium kits include 432 plants and cover 440 to 740 sq. ft.
- Large kits include 576 plants and cover 640 to 1200 sq. ft.
Regardless of kit size or soil type, all kits contain a balanced selection of native grass, sedge, and flower species. You can review the complete list of plants included in each kit, their bloom time and height, pollinator notes for specific species, and the total number of plants included in each kit. Plants are grown in 2 x 2.25 inch cells and arrive in flats of separable six-packs with 36 plants per-flat.
Important Notes:
- Review the complete list of plants in each kit for more information on each species (final plant list subject to change based on nursery availability).
- If you are splitting a single kit between several areas on the same farm or site, the soils in each area must be of the same moisture category as your selected kit.
- The approximate square footage listed for each kit is based on plants spaced 12 to 16 inches apart. Plant spacing can be adjusted to fit the configuration of your site.
- When planting your habitat kit, expect to spend 1 to 2 worker-hour per tray of 36 plants.
- We are not able to provide partial kits or smaller quantities per project than listed.
For projects larger than 1200 square feet, we recommend you supplement the Xerces habitat kit with additional plants that you either purchase or source from another native plant program. Alternatively, your larger pollinator project may be better suited for a different habitat installation practice (e.g. prairie seeding) and could qualify for USDA Farm Bill programs or other conservation initiatives. Contact us at [email protected] to explore all of your habitat installation options.
How to Participate in the Wisconsin Pollinator Habitat Kit Program
The window for submitting a project proposal form for the 2024 Wisconsin Pollinator Habitat Kit Program will open on January 30th and close on March 4, 2024. Alternatively, if the submission period is closed, you may share your contact info with us to receive habitat kit program updates.
For your project to be considered as a potential WI Pollinator Habitat Kit recipient, please complete and submit a project proposal form. This form collects information about where the kit will be planted; size of the project area; plans for site preparation, management, and maintenance; plans for pesticide risk mitigation (if applicable); and opportunities for public outreach. After the application deadline has passed and all project proposals have been reviewed, we will contact applicants about the outcome of their project proposals in early April.
Note that there are a limited number of habitat kits available and we expect to receive more requests than we are able to fulfill. Not everyone who submits a project proposal form will receive a habitat kit.
Native pollinator plants ready for on-farm habitat. (Photo: Sarah Foltz Jordan)
The Wisconsin Pollinator Habitat Kit Program was developed & funded by the Xerces Society. We are grateful to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Foundation (NRF) for providing funding for the habitat kits planted on urban farms.
Meet our Wisconsin Habitat Kit Team:
Pollinator Conservation Specialist Wisconsin |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should I contact if I have questions?
You can contact us at [email protected] with any questions about our WI Pollinator Habitat Kit Program.
How do I participate in the Habitat Kit Program?
The window for submitting a project proposal form for the 2024 Wisconsin Pollinator Habitat Kit Program will open on January 30th and close on March 4, 2024. After the application deadline has passed and all project proposals have been reviewed, we will contact applicants about the outcome of their project proposals in early April. We encourage you to review the two WI Habitat Kit guidance documents for suggestions on how to be successful with your project proposal, with site preparation, and with your habitat kit planting: What Makes a Successful Habitat Kit Proposal and Planting and WI Habitat Kit Case Studies.
What is required of participants?
Kit awardees are required to pick up and install the plants as soon as possible (at most within 2 weeks) after receiving their kit, following the plan outlined in the project proposal form. Participants must contact us to confirm that the kit is planted and to share some photos. In addition, participants receiving plants in June will be contacted later that summer to provide follow-up information on the planting such as plant survival, photos of plantings, project reflections (successes and challenges), and comments on pollinator or beneficial insect visitors.
Participants will receive a Project Partner Collaborative Agreement that outlines all requirements prior to picking up the kit.
If I am selected, how do I get my kit?
Plant kits will be available for pick-up in mid-to-late June from a location in or around Madison, WI. Final location and exact dates TBD.
Can I have the kit delivered to me?
No. Habitat kit awardees must pick-up their plants on a set day (TBD) in the Madison-area. Xerces staff will coordinate habitat kit distribution and help habitat kit partners schedule their pick-up.
What plants are in the kits?
Download an information sheet that lists the species in the WI habitat kits. The final plant list may minimally change as species are substituted depending on nursery availability.
How did you decide what plants to include in the kits?
Plants were selected for two key reasons: 1) their native range includes a majority of WI counties and 2) they provide optimal foraging and nesting resources for native pollinators and beneficial insects. Other considerations that influenced species selection included nursery availability and soil moisture requirements.
How much space do I need for a kit?
Habitat kits are available in 3 different sizes to roughly match your project’s area and will cover approximately 280 to 1200 square feet.
How long does it take to plant a kit?
If you’ve prepared your planting area well, you should plan to spend about 1 to 2 worker-hour per tray of 36 plants. Small kits will take about 8 hours to plant, medium kits 12 hours to plant, and large kits 16 hours to plant. A planting auger and extra hands will help make any planting a more enjoyable endeavor and quickly completed.
Can I order more than one kit?
No. Kit orders are limited to one kit per property to maximize the number of farm and community partners. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss how a kit can fit into a larger habitat project or planting plan.
Can I get technical assistance for creating and maintaining my kit?
Yes! We are happy to help. Each kit will arrive with a planting plan and care guide. You may contact us at [email protected] with questions about your project and for additional guidance on how to ensure that your project will be successful. You can also find a variety of informational materials on our website.
I am not a farmer nor part of a community food initiative, can I still request a kit or purchase one?
No. These kits are an exclusive project designed to support agricultural lands.
We encourage you to contact your county’s land and water conservation department or local conservation initiative to see if they organize a spring native plant sale. Many local native plant nurseries also have ready-to plant pollinator or rain garden kits available.
I do not live in WI. Am I eligible for a kit?
Unfortunately, we can only provide kits to people who will be planting them in Wisconsin. Visit our other Xerces habitat kit programs to see if there is an active program that covers your community.
How can I support the Xerces habitat kit program?
The habitat kits are possible thanks to the generosity of Xerces Society donors and members. Visit our donation page to find out how you can support the Xerces Society.
