By Rochelle Cassella -Communications Director for the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities
Earth Day Reflection
It was snowing the day Dennis picked up our lawn mower for its annual checkup. We laughed at the irony, but my husband reminded me that we had to be ready when the grass started growing. “It’s harder to cut when it’s too long and thick,” he said.
That factor, and when our neighbors mow their lawns, will be the deciding factors for grooming our yard through November. I just wish my husband were as fastidious about vacuuming our floors!
A few days later, my niece sent me an article from U.S. Catholic about the case for not mowing, based on Catholic Social Teaching. “It looks like God may not want us to mow lawns,” she texted. We joked about whether this could also apply to house cleaning.
But with Earth Day coming, the article made me think beyond letting grass grow for birds, butterflies, and bees. It raised questions about what a neat lawn says about individuals and American culture. Having a “perfect” lawn isn’t just about appearance—it involves significant time, money, and environmental costs, such as using chemicals that can contaminate drinking water, spending $50 billion on lawn care each year, burning 800 million gallons of gas for equipment, and consuming 9 billion gallons of water per day to keep lawns green.[i]
There are things you can do, including transitioning all or part of your yard to a native plant garden. Native plants don’t need to be fertilized, require fewer pesticides than lawns, and cut water consumption by as much as 60 percent. Native plants reduce air pollution because you’re not using gas to mow. They increase biodiversity and help steward our national heritage.[ii] And they are beautiful to look at.
Granted, not everyone in your neighborhood may agree with your plan to help the environment. One person’s natural garden is another’s messy, bug-infested yard. In some areas, the practice of “delawning” is prohibited. To start, check your local laws, then talk with your neighbors. Explain your plan and the reasons behind your changes. Start small. Transforming part of your lawn into a native garden can ease the process for you and help your neighbors adjust to the concept.
In my yard, I’d meet more resistance from my husband than from my neighbors. But I do have spots perfect for wildflowers. I’m making a list of plants that will grow well in my area. I’m looking forward to gardening weather.
Let’s take this Earth Day as an opportunity to make a real difference—consider starting a native plant garden or reducing your lawn’s size for the sake of our environment. Every step helps! Happy Earth Day!
[i] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
[ii] Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture
Photo credit: By Sten, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2259431
