Category Archives

Trees and Native Habitats

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful selects three Indy neighborhoods for investment and revitalization through AES Indiana Project Greenspace

Posted by: Derek Glass
Posted: September 20, 2022
Categories: AES Indiana Project Greenspace, News & Features

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB) announced today three new community greenspace projects for 2023, awarded as part of the organization’s AES Indiana Project GreenSpace program. This competitive process reviews applications from community groups looking to transform vacant lots into thriving neighborhood gathering places. There are nearly 60 of these greenspaces across Indianapolis, connecting people to nature, creating […]

Trees for the Next 200 Years

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted: October 26, 2020
Categories: Habitat Restoration

“THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE WAS 20 YEARS AGO, THE NEXT BEST TIME IS TODAY.” I was reminded of that saying this weekend for a couple of reasons. First, my daughter Eden turned 20 years old this weekend. It seems like just yesterday when she was a tiny sapling I could cradle on […]

A KIB Friendly Lawn

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted: May 26, 2020
Categories: Habitat Restoration

A friend of KIB recently asked me to weigh in on “natural” lawn services and offer an opinion on whether this was a preferable option to traditional lawn care companies. While I had my own thoughts, I also checked in with the very knowledgeable Native Landscapes team, who spend their days creating vibrant green spaces […]

Mulch Madness

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted: December 6, 2018
Categories: AES Indiana Project Greenspace, Education, Volunteers

Did you know that KIB used over 2,000 yards of mulch last year with our projects? To be exact it was 2,119 yards which comes out to about 210 trucks full! That may seem like a lot however this is also very important to our work here at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. Mulch has lots of great benefits to […]

The Danger of CoDom Stems

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted:
Categories: Education, Tree Tenders, Trees and Native Habitats

Yep … you read that correctly. CoDom stems are a danger to tree health. Here is an easy way to protect your tree. The term “co-dominant stem” is used to describe a tree that is composed of two main stems or leaders. Both stems are usually the same in diameter and length. As the tree […]

Native Plants: Sustaining the Circle of Life

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted:
Categories: Habitat Restoration

Katie Owens is a member of the 2016 Urban Naturalist Program. She is studying Environmental Science and Journalism at Indiana University. As a part of the Urban Naturalist team, Katie has the opportunity to work on a variety of green-job inspired projects while tending to Indy’s native landscape. They say man has been altering the […]

From Pests to Pollinators

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted:
Categories: Habitat Restoration

Alex Hodge is a member of the 2016 Urban Naturalist Program. She is a senior studying Environmental Management at Indiana University. As a part of the Urban Naturalist team, Alex has the opportunity to work on a variety of green-job inspired projects while tending to Indy’s native landscape. From watermelon seed spitting contests, to picking […]

Sunflower Substitutes with Staying Power

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted:
Categories: Habitat Restoration

Pollinator Count Week has been a blast! But the work of building pollinator greenspaces can continue throughout the year. Here are a few perennial alternatives that will create happy homes for pollinators every year. Looking for a great towering sunflower that comes back every year? Tons of folks love the look of a cheerful sunflowers […]

Take a Break: Pausing for Pollinators

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted:
Categories: Habitat Restoration

Maria Stahl works for The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Many thanks to Maria and her co-works for adding to our pollinator count. Friday morning I took a break from my normal routine and counted bees […]

The Black Market of Nectar Robbing

Posted by: Jeremy Kranowitz
Posted: December 5, 2018
Categories: Habitat Restoration

Nectar robbing is the practice of an organism piercing or biting though the corolla (petal) of a flower and directly gathering nectar rather than entering the flower through the natural opening. This result is a quicker drink of nectar and also typically bypasses the pollination process as nectar robbing causes the animal to avoid the […]