Massachusetts Native Plant Palette
Connecting residents with all the native plants and resources available in Massachusetts
Project overview
Overseeing many of Massachusetts’ environmental agencies, The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs is concerned with serving residents interested in outdoor recreation, interfacing between energy consumers and power companies, as well as pursing initiatives that benefit the people, wildlife and natural environment of the state.
As part of an ongoing goal to fight drought and restore native habitats, OEEA partnered with the Department of Conservation and Recreation as well as the Ipswich Utilities Department. Together, they sought to develop a public-facing initiative that would encourage residents to explore what native plants would best thrive in their gardens.
Solution
Inspired by the robust utility of Shields SGF’s recent DCR Tree App, OEEA asked Shields to develop a similar tool, intended to be hosted on Mass.gov, utilized by the public and accessed through both desktop and mobile devices. With the experience of the DCR Tree App behind us, Shields was able to build comprehensive sort and filter functionality to assist users searching through the extensive native plant database provided by OEEA.
The Massachusetts Native Plant Palette App uses the theme of color swatches to encourage users to design their own “plant palettes” that can be created through the app and then shared on social media. The app also includes links to local resources to learn more about the species they’ve picked, as well as nurseries that residents can use to order their chosen plants. The clean and minimalistic visual style chosen for the app best highlights the gorgeous plant photography provided by OEEA and appeals to a young, hip demographic.
To get the word out about the MA Native Plant Palette App, Shields SGF created an animated social media video explaining the features and purpose of the app. The clean visual style carries the look and feel of the app throughout and is oriented vertically for easy sharing on platforms like Instagram stories and TikTok.
Results
Residents can use the MA Native Plant App to plan their gardens, learn more about species that will benefit their local ecosystems and gain awareness of the benefits of native plants. Additionally, OEEA has developed a unique, interactive way to connect to plant and garden enthusiasts across the state.
