Exceeding Expectations: An Experiment in Organic Lawn to Meadow Conversion

About this event

After one spring and summer of consistently mowing their 5,000 square foot front lawn, Sara eagerly initiated the process of transitioning the lawn into a native wildflower meadow. She wanted to avoid two things, however: herbicide and heavy physical labor. Leaving the turf in place, she began a turf-to-meadow conversion process that relied on actions that simultaneously weakened the lawn and strengthened her newly planted meadow. After two growing season, the results have exceeded expectations... enough to be featured in The New York Times in 2024. Learn the practical steps they took, the successes and challenges they have so far encountered, and their plans for guiding the meadow to maturity. This is a Zoom only event. Please register online. This program is sponsored by Southern Adirondack Audubon Society.

Sara Weaner Cooper, New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL)'s executive director, began her role with NDAL in 2018 as educational program coordinator. In addition to programs for landscape professionals, Sara has added programming for home gardeners, students, and educators. She holds a in anthropology and education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a in anthrolpology and education from Bryn Mawr College. In 2024, NDAL received the American Horticultural Society's Award for Horticultural Innovation, which recognizes an individual/organization "whose innovations have made the field of horticulture more sustainable and accessible to all." Also in 2024, Sara and her partner Evan Cooper's home lawn-to-meadow landscape was featured in The New York Times article by Margaret Roach, "Can You Get Rid of Your Front Lawn Without Offending the Neighbors?"