Heidi Dollard Presents, “Environmentally Friendly Lawns and Lawn Alternatives”, Thursday May 8, 6:30-8PM, South Hadley Public Library
Seed Giveaway:
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata)
and Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
As the daylight hours increase and there is more sunshine and warming temperatures, many of us gaze out our windows at the lawns that surround our homes and see the remnants of winter—downed limbs, leaves from the fall, dried up plants from last year’s plantings, and emerging flowers ready to bloom. Many of us wonder “Where do I begin?” What approaches are best to support plant and animal species, foster the plantings we value, and provide food for organisms in our environment? In what way do the approaches we take in managing our lawns support/limit global warming?
Looking at these questions, it’s important to know that currently 40 million acres are devoted to lawn in this country and, with all the watering that we do, it’s the largest irrigated crop. Additionally, lawn mowers emit at least 16 million tons of CO2 per year. At the same time millions of species are headed for extinction, in large part due to habitat loss. So, changing the way we often think of managing our lawns and/or reducing their size presents a huge opportunity both to save species and address global warming- right in our own yard!
As part of the Growing Wild South Hadley project sponsored by the Conservation Commission, Heidi Dollard will present: Environmentally Friendly Lawns and Lawn Alternatives on Thursday, May 8, from 6:30-8PM at the South Hadley Public Library. She will talk about many ideas on how to convert your lawn to an ecological benefit. She will share how gardeners and homeowners can support pollinators and other beneficial wildlife while creating a beautiful and low maintenance landscape. There will be plant giveaways following her talk. Heidi is Co- Chair of the Steering Committee of the Massachusetts Pollinator Network and a Master Gardener.