Botanical Belonging

### Context Profile for Botanical Belonging

1. **Organization Mission & Cause**:
   - **Mission**: Botanical Belonging is dedicated to fostering a deeper connection between individuals and nature through education about native plants. They aim to promote biodiversity and environmental stewardship by empowering communities to engage with their local ecosystems.
   - **Cause**: The organization focuses on the importance of native plants in local environments, advocating for their use in gardening and landscaping to support local wildlife and ecosystems.

2. **Type of Activities**:
   - **Events**: Botanical Belonging hosts virtual gatherings, such as the "Nature Connections" series, where participants learn about seed processing, garden design, and other related topics. These events often include Q&A sessions to encourage community engagement.
   - **Fundraising Campaigns**: They run campaigns to support their educational initiatives, including discounts for members on native plants, as seen in their recent email campaign.
   - **Community Programs**: The organization likely engages in community outreach and educational programs, although specific details would need to be confirmed via the website or additional sources.

3. **Tone of Voice**:
   - The tone of the website and communications is **friendly, informative, and inspiring**. The language is accessible and encourages participation, making it inviting for individuals of all backgrounds interested in nature and gardening.
   - The use of personal anecdotes and direct addresses (e.g., "Come ready to use Q&A") fosters a sense of community and engagement.

4. **Emoji Usage**:
   - The organization uses emojis sparingly but effectively in their communications. For example, they included a 🌱 emoji in their recent email campaign to convey enthusiasm and connection to nature. This suggests a casual and friendly approach to communication, making it relatable to their audience.

5. **Key Facts**:
   - **Founding Info**: Specific founding details were not available on the website; further research may be needed.
   - **Scale**: The organization has conducted 10 total forms and sent out 238 email campaigns, indicating a robust engagement strategy.
   - **Impact Metrics**: Specific metrics regarding their impact on biodiversity or community engagement were not detailed on the website.
   - **Volunteer Info**: Information about volunteer opportunities was not explicitly mentioned; this may require further exploration on their website or outreach.

6. **Writing Guidelines**:
   - **Style**: Content should be written in a friendly and approachable manner, using clear and concise language. 
   - **Engagement**: Encourage reader participation and questions, reflecting the interactive nature of their events.
   - **Visuals**: Incorporate relevant imagery of native plants and community activities to enhance the connection to nature.
   - **Emojis**: Use emojis judiciously to add warmth and relatability, particularly in subject lines and informal communications.

This context profile provides a comprehensive overview of Botanical Belonging, emphasizing their mission, activities, and communication style, which will help in crafting personalized and engaging content for their audience.

Click "More details" under the photo to learn more about this volunteer opportunity. Thank you!

Volunteer

Help us maintain a native plant garden — in Kansas City! KC Farm School at Gibbs Road4223 Gibbs Rd, Kansas City, KS 66106 At our volunteer workdays, participants work alongside an educator as they perform native garden maintenance. Our hope is that these hands-on experiences will result in more knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the native plant garden than traditional education and discussions would normally foster. No experience is necessary! KC Farm School at Gibbs Road’s Native Garden [You'll hear Patti call it the "berms and swales garden"]Year established: 2019Category: Professionally managed with volunteer assistance The KC Farm School native garden is built atop a berm and swale system to capture water and minimize erosion in an urban/peri-urban area. The garden is a mix of mostly forbs and grasses, with some shrubs, combined in an arrangement with a wild feel. The area is mostly sun with some partial shade and also includes a raingarden. Butterflies, bees and birds are daily visitors to the garden, and groundhogs, rabbits, and deer travel through as well. Botanical Belonging, Tonganoxie, KS, helped select natives and guides maintenance for the Berms and Swales garden and David Dods designed and planted the raingarden positioned near the greenhouse. The farm crew and apprentices perform quarterly maintenance of the gardens, supplemented by weekly maintenance by dedicated volunteers, including weed control and use of leaf mulch and wood chips on paths along with judicious use elsewhere. What Makes this Garden Excellent: This native garden on the grounds of a working urban farm demonstrates native plants co-existing with agriculture. The farm draws visitors with an apprenticeship program, an onsite farm market, a farm camp for youth, and other activities, and educates them regarding the many benefits of native plants including for pollinators and stormwater control. Ten Great Native Plants to See Here:Baptisia australis (Blue wild indigo)Carex grayi (Globe sedge)Carex stricta (Tussock sedge)Diarrhena obovata (American beakgrain)Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet Joe Pye weed)Fragaria virginiana (Wild strawberry)Iris virginiana var. shrevei (Southern blue flag iris)Lobelia siphilitica (Great blue lobelia)Rudbeckia subtomentosa (Sweet coneflower)Silphium perfoliatum (Cup Plant) Accessibility: The rain garden is located on the edge of a driveway/parking lot and the larger garden is approximately 175 feet from pavement, accessible by a wood chip path. Parking: Please park across the street at the adjacent property, Common Ground. The entrance to the parking lot is at 2447 S 42nd St, Kansas City, KS. After parking, cross 42nd St to enter the KC Farm School. Please do not cut across any rows of crops! The native garden is toward the southwest corner of the property. Garden profile from <a href="https://grownative.org/project/kc-farm-school-at-gibbs-roads-berms-and-swales-native-garden/" style="color:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;user-select:auto;box-sizing:inherit">Grow Native!</a>Photo by Alicia Ellingsworth, KC Farm School, 2021.

Hello <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip " fr-original-style style="background-color:rgb(248, 248, 255);border:1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255);border-radius:4px;color:rgb(42, 42, 196);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:1px 8px;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;overflow-wrap:anywhere;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit">First name, Thank you for registering to volunteer with Botanical Belonging at the native garden at the KC Farm School on <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{date-variable-0e0da2c8-a8b3-4d37-8512-94e999693357}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip " fr-original-style style="background-color:rgb(248, 248, 255);border:1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255);border-radius:4px;color:rgb(42, 42, 196);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:1px 8px;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;overflow-wrap:anywhere;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit">Date! Please let us know if you can no longer make it (you can reply to this email or text Patti at the number below). KC Farm School: 4223 Gibbs Rd, Kansas City, KS 66106Please park across the street at Common Ground. Parking lot entrance: 2447 S 42nd St, Kansas City, KS 66106 Please dress for weather and bring water, garden gloves and hand pruners (if you have them). Don't forget your insect repellant or sunscreen, depending on the season. We will still work in a light rain. We're excited to share this garden with you! Patti Patti RagsdaleExecutive DirectorBotanical Belongingpatti@botanicalbelonging.org816-260-6417

Help us maintain a native plant garden — in Kansas City! KC Farm School at Gibbs Road4223 Gibbs Rd, Kansas City, KS 66106 At our volunteer workdays, participants work alongside an educator as they perform native garden maintenance. Our hope is that these hands-on experiences will result in more knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the native plant garden than traditional education and discussions would normally foster. No experience is necessary! KC Farm School at Gibbs Road’s Native Garden [You'll hear Patti call it the "berms and swales garden"]Year established: 2019Category: Professionally managed with volunteer assistance The KC Farm School native garden is built atop a berm and swale system to capture water and minimize erosion in an urban/peri-urban area. The garden is a mix of mostly forbs and grasses, with some shrubs, combined in an arrangement with a wild feel. The area is mostly sun with some partial shade and also includes a raingarden. Butterflies, bees and birds are daily visitors to the garden, and groundhogs, rabbits, and deer travel through as well. Botanical Belonging, Tonganoxie, KS, helped select natives and guides maintenance for the Berms and Swales garden and David Dods designed and planted the raingarden positioned near the greenhouse. The farm crew and apprentices perform quarterly maintenance of the gardens, supplemented by weekly maintenance by dedicated volunteers, including weed control and use of leaf mulch and wood chips on paths along with judicious use elsewhere. What Makes this Garden Excellent: This native garden on the grounds of a working urban farm demonstrates native plants co-existing with agriculture. The farm draws visitors with an apprenticeship program, an onsite farm market, a farm camp for youth, and other activities, and educates them regarding the many benefits of native plants including for pollinators and stormwater control. Ten Great Native Plants to See Here:Baptisia australis (Blue wild indigo)Carex grayi (Globe sedge)Carex stricta (Tussock sedge)Diarrhena obovata (American beakgrain)Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet Joe Pye weed)Fragaria virginiana (Wild strawberry)Iris virginiana var. shrevei (Southern blue flag iris)Lobelia siphilitica (Great blue lobelia)Rudbeckia subtomentosa (Sweet coneflower)Silphium perfoliatum (Cup Plant) Accessibility: The rain garden is located on the edge of a driveway/parking lot and the larger garden is approximately 175 feet from pavement, accessible by a wood chip path. Parking: Please park across the street at the adjacent property, Common Ground. The entrance to the parking lot is at 2447 S 42nd St, Kansas City, KS. After parking, cross 42nd St to enter the KC Farm School. Please do not cut across any rows of crops! The native garden is toward the southwest corner of the property. Garden profile from <a href="https://grownative.org/project/kc-farm-school-at-gibbs-roads-berms-and-swales-native-garden/">Grow Native!</a>Photo by Alicia Ellingsworth, KC Farm School, 2021.

Botanical Belonging

Volunteer Registration: Native Plant Garden at KC Farm School

4223 Gibbs Rd

Volunteer

Free