Read the full story in Smithsonian Magazine.
Banned by federal and state regulators, many invasive plants are still being sold at garden centers, nurseries and online retailers nationwide.
Category: Landscaping
The missing piece of new biodiversity goals? Managed landscapes
Read the full story at Landscape News.
Scientists and policymakers stress importance of targeting agricultural landscapes in Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
Lawn renovations could play major role in conserving water in West, experts say
Read the full story from ABC News.
Lawns and gardens can make up 60% of household water usage in dry climates.
This porous pavement helps prevent flooding by absorbing rain
Read the full story in Fast Company.
When cities are covered in pavement, they more easily flood because stormwater can’t get into the ground. This alternative has tiny little holes to let rainwater through, while keeping pollution out.
Water Survey helps Cook County manage stormwater
Read the full story from the Prairie Research Institute.
Experts from the Illinois State Water Survey have been working since 2015 with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), supporting MWRD in making informed watershed management decisions for its vast service area that includes 128 suburban communities in Cook County.
The first two phases of this long-term project have had a major impact on development throughout the region and helped define one of the most visible aspects of stormwater management: detention requirements.
N.C. State turfgrass researchers collaborate with NCDOT for roadside grasses
Read the full story at the Richmond Observer.
North Carolina State University’s Turfgrass Program has been working on the selection, installation and evaluation of zoysiagrasses along roadsides throughout the state in collaboration with the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Natural Grass Playing Field Case Study: Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Communities on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts have partnered with a non-profit group called The Field Fund to manage their natural grass playing fields with organic maintenance. The playing fields support the full demands of local youth and adult recreational activities, and increase community access to pesticide-free play spaces. This case study provides information on maintenance practices, costs, use, successes, and challenges for three natural grass field complexes on Martha’s Vineyard: Oak Bluffs School Fields, West Tisbury School Fields, and West Tisbury Town Field.
The maintenance practices highlighted here were created to meet Martha’s Vineyard’s specific conditions and needs, these methods can be adapted to any town, school, or community looking for a cost effective way to maintain their playing fields.
This is the third in a series of case studies created by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), intended to share the experiences of communities that have chosen to invest in organically managed natural grass athletic fields. The first two case studies described the experiences of the City of Springfield and the Town of Marblehead, which show what can be accomplished with use of core organic management techniques. This case study presents how precision technologies can be used alongside core organic management techniques, for those communities that have resources for additional investment.
Connections: The Great American Lawn
Read the full story in Biocycle.
This installment of our Connections’ Drawdown series reviews the pros and cons of lawns, concluding that they ultimately provide more environmental benefits than harm.
Construction of curbside rain gardens to reduce flooding completed in southeast Queens neighborhoods
Read the full story at QNS.
The city Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has completed construction of 170 specially designed curbside rain gardens and infiltration basins to reduce roadway flooding in southeast Queens neighborhoods.
IPM for Sports and Recreational Fields
The Land + Lawn Forum of the IPM Institute of North America promotes the use of sustainable landscaping. They have a wealth of information for sports and recreational fields, including case studies.
