WEAVING FOR A THRIVING PLANET 61 System Change Fundacja Łąka influences local and national law to support the initiatives to restitute biodiversity in public areas. This law will require the government and municipalities to provide funds and support the program. Some municipalities have already passed local programs to set up flower meadows - For instance, Częstochowa. Frame Change: Mindset Shift Focus This initiative provides communities with resources and encourages them to work with meadows. This enables communities to see the results of their actions; additionally, it changes their view of their city’s municipalities’ perspective. Flower meadows are always popular projects in Polish cities’ participatory budgets because of their natural qualities, such as the ability to boost and save insect populations, save water, counteract local flooding, etc. Community-based Approach Fundacja Łąka works with various stakeholders such as young local citizens, corporates, municipalities, Senators, parliament members, ENSPA (European Native Seeds Producers Association), and volunteers to empower citizens to nurture biodiversity sustainably and efficiently. This goal is reached through education, advocacy, research initiatives, services of meadows setting up, and care. Scaling & Replication Scaling & Replication Strategy: The foundation has set up pilot meadows in dozens of municipalities across Poland, promoting the idea with ever-growing interest. Most of the cities are now using the experience to develop their ecological programs even further. Fundacja Łąka shares its research’ findings with ENSPA (European Native Seeds Producers Association) and other producers. It collaborates with corporates, such as the food industry, to educate their employees and carry out joint projects in local communities (also providing toolkits and seeds for DIY meadows). Fundacja Łąka is encouraging and empowering its communities through community-driven actions and convince their municipalities to set up meadows. The foundation provides participatory budget templates, so the process is easy for everyone. Additionally, Fundacja Łąka advocates directly through talks with mayors and council members, e.g., during conferences. Scaling & Replication History: Fundacja Łąka has mainly expanded its actions in Europe through research, CSR actions and setting up pilot projects showing the possibilities. This includes the cooperation with European ENSPA (European Native Seeds Producers Association) on how to create and maintain local seed banks and how to grow wildflowers for seeds. Fundacja Łąka also exchanges knowledge with British colleagues who have years of experience and observations. Scaling Interest: Fundacja Łąka scaling interest is bringing wild meadows flowers to communities and cities across Europe.Taking into account that Fundacja Łąka works in a systemic context and under environmental conditions, the best countries to start new projects would be probably Poland’s neighbour countries, e.g. Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and maybe Austria, Hungary, and Romania. Scaling & Replication Needs: To further replicate itself and scale up the initiative, Fundacja Łąka needs to hire additional qualified personnel, expand its education programs, and increase its research. Challenges Fundacja Łąka faces 2 main challenges: • Setting up flower meadows requires expertise; if they are not well set up, they don’t reach their full potential. There is a need to gather all available knowledge about setting up and nurturing flower meadows into a practical guide. There is also a need to get the definitions straight. • Fundacja Łąka envisions to create an umbrella organisation for ensuring the quality and correct maintenance of all meadow-related projects. The challenge is to collaborate with all required stakeholders; environmental NGOs, research institutes and even competitors. How to make them understand and join the common goals?
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