Seed a cleared Gary lot into a native dune-prairie meadow

Gary sits inside one of America's most biodiverse landscapes — the Indiana Dunes prairie — while its own vacant blocks grow ragweed and litter. Seeding cleared lots with the region's native prairie mix cuts mowing forever and reconnects city blocks to the dunes ecology around them. Standard: Indiana native prairie seed guidance (Indiana DNR) + regional dune-prairie plant lists; SDG 15 Life on Land. Proof: Prep, seeding, and signage photos plus seed-mix record Method (Indiana native prairie seed guidance (Indiana DNR) + regional dune-prairie plant lists; SDG 15 Life on Land.): 1. Start from a cleared, accessible lot and confirm stewardship access. 2. Rake and loosen the top soil layer with hand tools. 3. Broadcast a regional native prairie mix at the labeled rate and rake in lightly. 4. Water in and mark the edges with stakes and a small meadow sign. 5. Photograph the prepped, seeded, and signed lot with GPS and date on and record the mix. Done when: Prep, seeding, and signage photos plus seed-mix record

Where

Cleared vacant lot, Massachusetts Street block, Midtown, Gary, IN 46407

Pay

$90 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Prep, seeding, and signage photos plus seed-mix record

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-09-01

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 60–180 minutes. Method of record: Vacant/blighted residential-parcel stewardship — condition survey, native low-mow meadow seeding, and community raised-bed conversion. USDA/SARE sustainable land-conversion practice + Xerces Society no-till native-seeding guidance; proceeds only with the parcel owner (private owner, or the city/county land bank) having invited or authorized the work at claim time.

Bring

• camera + tape measure
• trash grabber/rake + heavy-duty bags for debris
• hand tools: shovel, hard rake, hand tiller (no-till surface prep only)
• native low-mow seed mix appropriate to the region, or raised-bed lumber/soil for the build variant
• gloves + closed-toe boots + eye protection
• wheelbarrow

Steps

1. 1. Confirm parcel ownership/authorization status (city/county land bank listing or private-owner invitation) and photograph the lot as found, noting dumped debris, standing water, and existing vegetation.
2. 2. Clear loose trash and dumped debris to a safe hauling point; document anything too large or hazardous for hand removal rather than forcing it.
3. 3. For the meadow variant: lightly rake the surface for seed-to-soil contact (no deep tillage) and broadcast the native low-mow mix at the labeled rate. For the raised-bed variant: site and build the bed frame level, back-fill with the planned soil mix, and confirm drainage.
4. 4. Water in the seeding or the finished bed, and mark the treated area's boundary (flags or a low border) so it reads as tended, not abandoned.
5. 5. Photograph the finished area from the same vantage as the before photo and log the treated square footage.
6. 6. Enter the ownership/authorization reference, before/after photos, and the treatment log into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• No ownership/authorization reference available (not on a land-bank list, no owner contact) -> STOP: document only, do not clear or plant; route to the city land-bank program for authorization.
• Debris includes anything suggesting hazardous dumping (drums, unlabeled chemical containers, sharps) -> STOP: do not handle; photograph from a safe distance and report to 311/code enforcement instead of clearing it yourself.
• Standing water present with mosquito larvae or a suspected illicit discharge source -> document and report to the MS4/311 line before proceeding with ground work.

What counts as done

• Parcel ownership/authorization reference recorded before any work begins
• Before and after photos from a matching vantage showing debris cleared and the meadow seeded or bed built
• Treated area boundary clearly marked so the lot reads as actively stewarded
• Treated square footage and materials (seed mix or bed lumber/soil) logged

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.