We’re eleven days into the I Like Flowers crowdfunding campaign, and I’m please to report that so far we’ve raised $3,682 from 30 backers! 

If you’ve donated already, thank you so much. If you haven’t yet, please check out our fun campaign page and consider giving what you can to help us reach our (pretty ambitious) goal of $10,700. You’ll be supporting our Berkeley High student interns who will be filming the video, plus our four local non-profit partners working hard to support native plants and wildlife. You'll also be supporting our delightful artistic endeavors, of course. We've begun interviewing our intern candidates, and they are amazing! 

​I’d like to highlight one of the perks we’re offering our donors: the official ‘I Like Flowers’ T-shirt! Totally original and available exclusively to donors of $200 or more, it’s my first T-shirt design, so if you don’t like it, please pretend that you do. See all available colors here. (By the way, you can donate $200—or any amount—without opting for one of our fine perks.) 

It would mean a lot if you would share the campaign with any flower-loving friends and family. Thank you! 

https://www.igg.me/at/i-like-flowers
​
P.S. PRO TIP: Our campaign platform, IndieGoGo, will auto-populate your donation with a "tip" for them. Before you give anything, you should know they already take a not-insignificant cut of every donation. I've heard from donors who gave without realizing IGG had slipped a tip into their cart, so make sure you set the tip where you really want it to be. 

It's here! 

The I Like Flowers music video crowdfunding campaign is now live on IndieGoGo! Please head to our campaign page to watch our pitch video, learn all about the project, and donate to what you will learn is a most worthy cause.

In addition to the video—which we actually put some real time into, so it'll be worth your while—you'll find:

• The story of 'I Like Flowers' 
• How this project will benefit climate action, conservation, and education in the Bay Area 
• Our budget and timeline
• Some neat-o perks you can get with your donations, including an official thank you in the video, discounts and benefits with our partner organizations, and even a nifty 'I Like Flowers' T-shirt

Our campaign will be live until June 18. I would be so honored if you, my loyal newsletter readers, would be among our early benefactors. We've got a great project ready to roll—now we need you to put the fuel in our tank. 

We're counting on you to help us make this happen--thank you so much for checking out the campaign and considering a donation! 

I Like Flowers: not just a statement of fact. It’s also a song—and with your help, soon to be a music video. 

Eco Soul Entertainment—i.e. my collaborator Will Hammond, Jr and I—will shortly be launching our very first crowdfunding campaign, and we would love for you to join us! Here’s what to do:

1) Listen to the song. The audio's not quite finished, but pretty close. 
2) Stay tuned for the crowdfunding campaign, launching (hopefully) next week! 

So what’s the deal with “I Like Flowers”? Since I first shared a sketch of this tune a couple years ago, it’s taken on a new life and a new mission: to do for native plants and pollinators what (I’m Your) Heat Pump did for heat pumps, and (Our Love Is) Geothermal did for geothermal energy: namely, make them fun. Make them catchy. Make people say, “Hey! I’d like to know more about that.” 

And just like Heat Pump and Geothermal, I Like Flowers will provide a nifty new messaging tool for organizations who support native plants and wildlife, starting locally with the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour here in the East Bay. Their executive director, Kathy Kramer, was an enthusiastic early supporter of Heat Pump, even before it was a video. (And hey Bay Area people, this year's tour is this weekend!) 

Why is this message needed? Most people know that flower-loving pollinators like birds, bees, and butterflies are super important for ecosystems and agriculture. Lesser known, perhaps, is how crucial native plants are for supporting those pollinators and other wildlife. Studies have shown that native plants do way, waaaay more for wildlife than their non-native cousins. Supporting them in our gardens and in the wild is a great way to help heal Mother Earth. 

We need new ways to get the word out and engage the public on this issue. I think a funk anthem is just the thing, don’t you? 

For more on the importance of native plants, check out this great slideshow by ecologist Jennifer Dirking, or the Homegrown National Park website. 

And just a little reminder that everything is more fun with a music video...