A climate action evanston program

Mow Less

The alternatives are nearly endless.

More about this key action item

most recent version posted on:
May 2, 2024
French lawn

Reduce carbon, costs and water waste, and boost biodiversity.

At enormous effort and ecological cost, non-native turfgrass has become our largest irrigated U.S. crop, bigger than corn, wheat and fruit trees combined. To nurture it we douse it with chemicals, trim and sweep it with gas-guzzling, air-polluting mowers and blowers, and overwater using 30-60% of our municipal fresh water supplies.

An easy first step to reduce turfgrass: plant a keystone tree or native pollinator patch.

Prioritize a keystone native crucial for wildlife, such as a native oak (host plant to more than 500 native caterpillars), cherry (429 native caterpillar species), willow shrub (440) or birch (400), or add more goldenrods (112) or asters (105) for your pollinator garden. Encircle with mulch and ta dah: less lawn. (There are species of goldenrod and aster that are not aggressive.)

native Pennsylvania sedge

Or swap out lawn for a low-growing turf-like grass.

Consider buffalo grass (sun) or Pennsylvania sedge (sun-shade). Buffalo grass is a gray-green colored grass, 4-8" tall that needs SUN. It is a North American native, but likely migrated to Illinois from plains short grass prairies and railroad workers.

To transition from turfgrass, you can smother your grass with cardboard, cover it with compost and mulch, add seeds and keep it moist. Depending on precipitation or watering, in @4 months the cardboard tends to have mostly decayed, enhancing the soil. Alternatively, you can smother (solarize) with plastic, but then the plastic must be removed to allow planting. Or you can dig up your turfgrass, but then you are removing the topsoil with the turf.

Native Buffalo Grass
Native Buffalo Grass

If you keep some lawn, mow it less often.

Let clovers and violets provide some nectar and seed. Mowing stops turf grass from producing seeds or blooms, diminishing the limited food it could provide to wildlife. 

Mow less is one of the six items in the Pollinator Pledge.

Improve habitat for birds and pollinators when you Take the Pollinator Pledge.

Cardboard method to smother lawn ('Cardboard Lasagna')
Cardboard method to smother lawn ('Cardboard Lasagna') Start at upper left.
Ask us for a Mow Less sign to spread the word.   ($10 donation requested)
Ask us for a Mow Less sign to spread the word.   ($10 donation requested)
Buffalo Grass up close

Resources

"No Mow May" Yard Sign

Sign up and donate for a No Mow May yard sign

Donate for a signDonate for a sign

No Mow May

No Mow May, NHE. Signs for a donation.

Donate for a signDonate for a sign

Take our Pollinator Pledge

Six steps toward a biodiverse, sustainable yard (plus make your windows bird-friendly)

Take the Pollinator PledgeTake the Pollinator Pledge

Our Pollinator Pledge yard signs

Pollinator Pledge yard signs

Donate for a Pollinator Pledge signDonate for a Pollinator Pledge sign

NWF WIldlife Certification

Certify your habitat with NWF

Certify with NWFCertify with NWF

Our Eco-Friendly Yard and Garden Landscaping flyer

Our short guide to get your garden buzzing with life — attracting butterflies, bees, fireflies and birds.

Access pdf file of flyerAccess pdf file of flyer

Our Leafblower Door Hanger

NHE Leafblower Door Hanger

NHE Leafblower Door HangerNHE Leafblower Door Hanger

Our Yard Maintenance Brochure

Yard Maintenance Brochure in English and Spanish, NHE

View a pdf file of our brochureView a pdf file of our brochure

Gardening that Matters PPT

NHE presentation to North Shore Senior Center tuesday club. Variations used for other groups. March 2023

Check out the PowerPointCheck out the PowerPoint

NHE - why certify as a National WIldlife Federation community habitat

NHE video presentation for Greener Glenview: why certify as a National WIldlife Federation community habitat

NHE video presentation for Greener Glenview: why NWFNHE video presentation for Greener Glenview: why NWF

Our Natural Habitat Newsletter Signup

Sign up for the NHE Newsletter

NHE Newsletter SignupNHE Newsletter Signup

Transitioning from Turf PPT

Presentation on Transitioning from Turf (Powerpoint), January 2023. Touches on the issues with turf, why native plants, why leave leaves, concerns about neonicotinoids and outdoor lighting.

Transitioning From Turf PowerpointTransitioning From Turf Powerpoint

Transitioning from Turf presentation to FLOW

Transitioning from Turf presentation to FLOW (Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed, Columbus, Ohio) lead by Leslie Shad, NHE Lead. DIscusses the issues with turf, why native plants and why leave leaves, the concern about neonicotinoids, and how to navigate outdoor lighting.

Transitioning from Turf Video PresentationTransitioning from Turf Video Presentation

Cleanup with Pollinators in Mind

Garden Cleanup with Pollinators in Mind, Evanston Roundtable, 2019

Read hereRead here

Gardening that Matters video presentation

Gardening that Matters. Get Started or Enhance your Native Garden.  March 2023 presentation to North Shore Senior Center's Tuesday Club. A simple way to take action for climate, community healthand biodiversity: Swap out your lawn for native plants.  Reconsidering theculture of lawns. Why it matters, steps to prioritize, how to get started, andhow to amplify the change. Leslie Shad of Natural Habitat Evanston presents.

See videoSee video

NWF Native Plants Finder: Search your zip code for plants ranked by Tallamy

Website database: search your zip code for plants ranked by Tallamy

Check out your zip code Check out your zip code

Audubon Plants for Birds Database by zip code

Audubon Plants for Birds Database

Audubon Plants for Birds DatabaseAudubon Plants for Birds Database

Chicago Audubon Society Plants for Birds

Chicago Audubon Society Plants for Birds

Chicago Audubon Society Plants for BirdsChicago Audubon Society Plants for Birds

The Morton Arboretum: Benefits of Trees

From Saving you Money to the Air you Breathe: Tree Benefits

The Morton Arboretum Tree BenefitsThe Morton Arboretum Tree Benefits

In Wisconsin: Stowing Mowers, Pleasing Bees article

In Wisconsin: Stowing Mowers, Pleasing Bees, NY Times, March 28, 2022

Go to articleGo to article

NY Times Why Do You Still Have Lightning Bugs? Ours Are All Gone.

New York Times ‘Why Do You Still Have Lightning Bugs? Ours Are All Gone.’ April 17, 2023 By Margaret Renkl,

Read ArticleRead Article

No Mow May factsheet from Midwest Grows Green

No Mow May factsheet from Midwest Grows Green

See factsheetSee factsheet

No Mow: Bee City

Read what Bee City says about No Mow

Read hereRead here

A Smarter Fall Cleanup

We now know that an overly aggressive approach to cleaning up in autumn can damage the environment. So what’s a responsible gardener to do?
Margaret Roach, The New York Times, A Smarter Fall Cleanup, 2020

Read hereRead here

The issues with Lawns

Freakonomics, How Stupid is our Obsession with Lawns

Freakonomics lawn transcriptFreakonomics lawn transcript

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - search native plants by state

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - search native plants by state

Lady Bird Johnson WIldflower Search State DatabaseLady Bird Johnson WIldflower Search State Database

You're Needed! Here Are Some Involvement Opportunities

Donating to Climate Action Evanston and earmarking your donation for Natural Habitat Evanston. You can further earmark your donation to one of our initiatives.

Take the Pollinator and Bird Pledge

take the pledgetake the pledge

Join our Pollinator Pledge and let the city and landscapers know we care about sustainable yards. Take an optional yard sign to spread the word.

Join the Natural Habitat Evanston Newsletter

subscribesubscribe

Stay updated on green goings on in Evanston, workdays, advocacy issues and more.

Buffalo Grass Anyone?

Buffalo GrassBuffalo Grass

$25/bag to local residents (pickup; no shipping). We also have some $5 seed packets of bottlebrush and little bluestem grass. While supplies last. Emails should include your phone number and which species you are requesting. Pay by check payable to Citizens’ Greener Evanston at pickup.

Volunteer at plantings and invasive removals: parks and schools

Outdoor workdaysOutdoor workdays

Help at outdoor workdays

Join No Mow May

No Mow MayNo Mow May

Rethink how you Lawn

Sign on: Northwestern students Petition for Bird-Friendly Films at Mudd Library

Sign onSign on

Northwestern students Petition for Bird-Friendly Films at Mudd Library. Mudd Library accounts for over 14% of bird deaths and injuries on campus each year. Applying patterned window film to a portion of the building would dramatically reduce collisions that are fatal to birds.

More Ways to Volunteer: Spread the word

Email usEmail us

Share out brochures, doorhangers, or flyers. Collect a bunch of materials on the 5th Ward Tree Giveaway, Pollinator Pledge, Eco landscaping, Yard care, Light pollution, Leaf blowers are an eco-disaster, or Buffalo Grass.

Join our Facebook Group

NHE FB GroupNHE FB Group

Get updates and share your thoughts on our FB Group. You can also check out our FB page here https://www.facebook.com/NaturalHabitatEvanston

More yard signs: Mowing, Leaves, Leafblowers?

2-Sided Yard Sign2-Sided Yard Sign

Just want to spread the word on certain steps? Mow Less-Leave Leaves (2-sided yard sign) or Leafblowers sign

Join the Isabella Woods Newsletter

Isabella Woods NewsletterIsabella Woods Newsletter

Get news the next time there is a threat to Isabella Woods. (Only sent when there is news.)

Certify with National Wildlife Federation

Certify now with NWFCertify now with NWF

Provide Food, Water, Shelter, Places to Raise Young and Sustainable Steps for wildlife. It helps Evanston maintain its NWF Community-wide Wildlife Habitat certification.

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