Mission:

Over the past several months, I have been researching lawn care and its impact on the environment, human health, and economy. Traditional grass lawns are problematic for a number of reasons. Typically they are composed non-native grasses or ill-equipped for the climate they are grown in. For this reason, turf grass lawns require exorbitant amounts of water, the regular application of pesticides and fertilizers, and extensive upkeep/maintenance. The requirements for grass lawns are becoming especially problematic for areas in the Western United States and Australia, who are experiencing high temperatures and increased instances of drought. Each year in the United States, approximately 9 billion gallons (34,068,706,056 liters!) of water is used for landscaping and outdoor irrigation per day.¹ Due to the application of fertilizers and pesticides (especially ones that are non-organic/synthetic), a number of ecological stresses can result, including, but not limited to: the eutrophication of waterways via runoff, soil contamination and degradation, as well as toxicity to pets, humans, and wildlife. Aside from the ecological hazards associated with pest control, it is a huge burden for many individuals, since multiple treatments are needed to see an effect. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, grass lawns utilize ten times more pesticides and fertilizers than any agricultural crops.² Since most lawns are monocultures with all their weeds eliminated, they are dead zones for biodiversity. This lack of biodiversity is directly linked to our decline in beneficial pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds. The consistent use of mowers and similar lawn equipment can contribute to issues like air pollution, noise pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change. 

Through a Social Marketing Campaign, I am striving to educate individuals about the harmful effects and impracticality of monoculture lawns. In addition to pointing out the flaws associated with modern lawn care, I plan to offer a number of lawn care alternatives (ranging from biodiverse groundcover to regulated irrigation) in order to make the landscaping industry more sustainable for all. If the average homeowner makes even small changes to their yards, the environment has potential to see huge improvements in its atmospheric conditions, drought occurrence, and ecosystem services. By making our lawns more sustainable, we can cultivate a world that supports the health of humans, pollinators, and so much more for generations to come. 

Audience: 

The stakeholders I am aiming to influence with this social marketing campaign include homeowners, landowners, landscapers, businesses, politicians, the golfing industry, nature lovers, gardeners, pet owners, parents, and their children. Lawns in the United States serve as major areas of recreation and aesthetics, so it only makes sense for us to prioritize and encourage healthy alternatives that are more sustainable–and much more beautiful– than grass. I think it is important to educate the general public about the potential hazards associated with pesticide and fertilizer application, especially when the average U.S. home has some type of irrigated turf that is in frequent contact with humans, pets, and beneficial organisms. Education by traditional means can seem boring to many people, so I figured a way of making sustainable lawn care more engaging and fun would be to raise awareness through memes and other forms of digital media.  

Objectives: 

With memes, infographics, videos from TikTok and Youtube, and helpful links from the internet, I hope to communicate ways of making lawn care (especially at the residential level) more sustainable, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing. By combining the issue of traditional lawn care with aspects of humor, art, and the internet, I am aiming to make the goals of my campaign more memorable and accessible for everyone. With this campaign, I am striving to influence individuals to make changes to their landscaping routine in a number of ways. This includes the switch to organic pest control, a reduction in mowing and weeding, adequately timed applications of lawn treatments, biodiverse and/or native alternative groundcover, reduced water use, and more. I hope to offer alternative methods and products that are more environmentally friendly, as well as inform people on how to access and use them. 

Below is a powerpoint I created with several TikToks, Memes, Infographics, and Youtube Videos!

Social Marketing Plan:

Background:

Here³ is a useful summary of events explaining the origin of lawns in the United States. 

The major disadvantages of traditional turf grass and its upkeep include:

• No (or very minimal) biodiversity
• Pesticide toxicity to humans and pets 
• Excess consumption of water 
• Decline in pollinators 
• Mowing = air pollution and tough/annoying labor
• Expensive $$$
• Worsening climate change
• Environmental contamination (drinking water, soil, etc) from fertilizers and herbicides
• Rooted in colonial America (YUCK)
• Ugly! 

Campaign Purpose:

The purpose of my campaign is to educate individuals about the hazards and ecological drawbacks of monoculture lawns; as well as inspire them to make beneficial changes to their own yards. I want to bring awareness to the impracticality and costliness of traditional lawn care in a way that is easy and enjoyable to consume/view. 

Benefits of Transitioning to a Sustainable/Alternative Lawn:

• Increased biodiversity
• Sink for atmospheric carbon 
• Save money + time 
• Reduced water consumption
• Create a safer environment for pets and children
• No more gas-powered, noisy mowing
• Less maintenance
• Save the bees! (and other pollinators)
• Break colonial tradition
• Create colorful and diverse landscapes
• Fight climate change
• Little to no need for pesticides, fertilizers, or weeding

Campaign Focus:

 Potential Solutions for the Unsustainable Lawn:

• Alternative ground covers⁴ such as:

• Clover 
• Moss 
• Sedum 
• Creeping thyme
• Oregano 
• Native grass
• Grass mix

• Other, eco friendly, alternatives⁵ to turf lawns include:

• Fruits, vegetables, and herbs (make your yard edible!)
• Succulent gardens
• Xeriscapes (composed of drought-resistant plants, rocks, etc.)
• Rock garden
• Raised garden beds
• Meadows 
• Wildflowers 

** The best choice for your yard and garden is dependent on climate! Search for groundcovers and plants that are compatible with your local soil, temperature range, and precipitation rates for best results. **

Here are some resources on finding native plants and alternative ground covers that best suit your needs:

1. Native Plants by State – Find Natives Near You! – Native Backyards
2. Home – Native Plants Finder (nwf.org)
3. Native Plants | Audubon
4. 10 Easy-Care Groundcovers That Thrive in the Toughest Spots (bhg.com)
5. Grass Alternatives: 12 Low-Maintenance Lawn Replacements | Almanac.com
6. Homeowners – Healthy Yards
7. Shop Alternative Lawns | Sustainable Lawns | High Country Gardens

Situation Analysis: 

A number of factors (both internal and external) go into the success and effectiveness of this social marketing campaign. Internal factors may include hesitance for homeowners and golf-course owners to acknowledge the negative impacts of their lawns. Because of centuries-old ideologies, many still view their manicured, grass lawns as a symbol of wealth and social importance. To minimize the effect of this factor, I hope to associate consciousness for the environment with an “elevated” social status within the neighborhood. Bringing awareness toward how most irrigated turf grass is worsening things like climate change, cancer rates, and pollinator collapse is a key way of initiating change within the landscaping industry. Another internal factor could be difficulties associated with easily sourcing and purchasing sustainable lawn care products. The Anti-Lawn and No-Mow movements are still relatively new, so there are noticeable market disparities when it comes to accessing lawn alternatives. This campaign is striving to change that through efforts to reach wider, more diverse audiences about lawn care and its eco-friendly potential. More demographics can be reached through the implementation of online advertising, social media interactions, and online forums. Communication can play a key role in overcoming the stigma associated with traditional, unsustainable lawns by opening up conversations about changes that can be made among neighborhoods, communities, and beyond. Implementing change cannot happen overnight, but through compromise and awareness, we can make our planet a healthier place. Individuals do not have to entirely ditch their lawns, small changes such as designated no-mow/native spaces in the yard can boost local biodiversity in a critical way. 

External forces play a role in the transition to sustainable lawn care, as well. For example, the strict guidelines enforced by Homeowners Associations (HOAs) may make sustainable lawns and reduced maintenance seem like a burdensome act. According to HOA Management’s landscaping page, “HOA yard maintenance rules can vary from community to community, but they typically include the following:

• How high shrubs and bushes can be
• What kinds of trees, shrubs, and flowers you can plant
• What color of flowers or mulch you can use
• How often you mow the lawn, mulch the beds, water the lawn, and spray pesticides
• What garden ornaments you can display
• How high your fence can be (considering a fence is even permitted)”⁶ 

The barriers associated with Homeowners Association rules and achieving a biodiverse lawn can be overcome through persuasion, communication, and accomodations/trade-offs. “If you’re a homeowner in one of those states [that limit native landscaping], persuading your HOA to embrace eco-friendly policies isn’t impossible. With the right attitude and enough evidence of go-green benefits, you might just convert the entire neighborhood.”⁷

Prior and Similar Efforts: 

A notable individual I discovered while exploring hashtags like #AntiLawn, #SustainableLandscaping, #FoodNotLawns, and more is @yardfarmer.co from TikTok. She is a landscape designer named Daryl who specializes in urban gardens and sustainable landscaping. On her social media, she posts helpful tips about the transition from grass lawns to biodiverse landscapes, educates her viewers about beneficial landscaping alternatives, and much more. On her website’s home page, Daryl says:

“I really hate mowing the lawn. That’s how all of this began: a search for landscaping alternatives that don’t require sacrificing every Saturday morning to the mower. As a certified permaculture designer, I help transform boring, basic lawns into beautiful yards that take care of us the way we take care of them.”⁸

On her website, you can arrange a consultation with her in order to establish a landscape plan and take necessary steps towards creating a more sustainable yard.⁹

Healthy Yards is an organization based in Westchester, NY that is composed of “professional gardeners, master gardeners and garden ‘passionates’ in Westchester County.” On their website, it states:

“We are nationally and locally active and work together with different organizations and governmental bodies. Our goal is to inform people about Healthier Yard practices. We think healthier yards are common sense, but if we want our neighbors and towns to reconsider their landscaping practices, we need to go out and communicate. Grassroots organizations can be very effective to create this change. That is why we encourage everyone to start up their own local ‘healthier yard’ organization. Maybe you already have an existing group, or maybe you are wondering how to begin one. We will be happy to help you in any way we can, answer your questions or forward you to someone who can. We would love to hear from your experiences and success as well.”¹⁰

Their website has several resources for landscapes at the residential and professional levels including information on native gardening, pollinators, pesticide and fertilizer use, soil and mulch, pest control, weeds, diseases, and more.^{11 12} Healthy Yards also offers a number of resources¹³ and helpful books¹⁴ on starting the transition to an eco-friendly yard. 

Assessing Success: 

The success of my social marketing plan is dependent on a number of factors including post engagement (i.e. comments, views, shares, etc), amount of positive feedback, and tangible changes and results in the world of sustainable lawn care and landscaping. Expanding the accessibility of sustainable lawn care can be potentially achieved through dialogue with local gardening shops, compiling lists of helpful tips, and by providing links of online stores that provide sustainable alternatives. Success can also be assessed through incidences of HOA reform and de-regulation. Individuals can track the success of their own actions by taking before and after pictures/videos of their outdoor space in order to see changes in pollinator populations, maintenance requirements, and rates of spending and resource use.