Blue Thumb

Blue Thumb
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About Blue Thumb

Who We Are

Blue Thumb—Planting for Clean Water® is a network of clean water and native plant stewards creating change to bridge the gap between knowledge and action by offering resources and programs to Minnesotan residents. Our Finest on Earth™ Blue Thumb Partners include local governmental units, non-profit organizations, and private companies all working toward the same goals. Blue Thumb is coordinated by the non-profit Metro Blooms. Sign-up for the Metro Blooms newsletter to keep up with our work!

Our Shared Vision

Blue Thumb engages with communities and shares accessible knowledge and resources to protect our environment and create a more sustainable future. We lead the way in changing landscaping norms among professionals, property owners, and renters. We aspire to clean water resources supported by beautiful and sustainable landscapes that minimize runoff and create native habitat in our communities. 

Where We Started

Blue Thumb began in 2006 as an outreach program of the Rice Creek Watershed District (located in Blaine, Minnesota) to help its cities meet mandated water quality goals set forth in the Clean Water Act. By 2015, Blue Thumb had expanded far beyond the bounds of any one watershed, and the licensed operation of the program was transferred to Metro Blooms.

Our Challenge

56% of Minnesota’s lakes and rivers that we all enjoy and depend on are impaired. The EPA defines runoff as the nation’s number one threat to the water quality of our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. Blue Thumb strives to offer resources so the public understands how runoff from their property impacts our clean water or how they can make a difference. Learn more. 

Equity + Values

Blue Thumb is actively engaged in an ongoing and intentional effort to create a multi-level equity framework for our leadership, our partners, and our broader community. In our mission to protect pollinators and clean water, we strive to create a community of different backgrounds, understandings, and knowledge towards environmental sustainability. The following goals were developed by Blue Thumb’s Environmental Justice Hub, a network of environmental professionals and community members that focused on building understanding and accountability in the co-creation of just, inclusive, and equitable communities. 

Our Goals

  • To make educational resources accessible and create a language that is usable for Minnesotans.
  • To create more opportunities for conversations about equity with partners and participants, and ensuring that everyone feels included in the conversation.
  • To create a more inclusive space for people who haven’t been in environmental decision-making rooms but are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards and injustices.
  • To create connections and identify pathways to equitable leadership for Blue Thumb Partners, Steering Committee members, contractors, and program participants.
  • To work towards acknowledging, talking about, and centering indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing.
  • To offer a variety of opportunities for people to share their stories, environmental knowledge, and connections to land.
  • To build connections and community in times of crisis and change.

Planting For Clean Water

Growing Green Hearts, Blue Thumb, and Rice Creek Watershed District connect people, plants, and place in this video. Learn about native plants and their role in the Minnesota ecosystem.

Learn more about our mission

Meet Metro Blooms

Blue Thumb is an educational program of Metro Blooms, a Minneapolis-based non-profit that partners with communities to create resilient landscapes and foster clean watersheds, embracing the values of equity and inclusion to solve environmental challenges.

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  • About
    • About Blue Thumb
    • Why Plant for Clean Water?
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Blue Thumb
Steering Committee

Chair: Stephanie Hatzenbihler
Stearns County Soil & Water Conservation District

Member: Beth Carreño
Comfort Lake Forest Lake Watershed District

Member: Bre Bauerly
Minnesota Native Landscapes

Member: Diana Grundeen
Trio Landscaping

Member: Amy Juntunen
West Metro Water Alliance

Member: Sage Passi
Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District

Member: Nick Voss
VLAWMO

Member: Stacey Lijewski
Hennepin County

Metro Blooms Staff

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