"I would love to have some input...on how to start a grassroots movement..."

I'm not sure starting a new movement is the answer. Many are already working towards this goal. Check with your local nature center, and I'll bet they have lots of ideas and are already working with others on this. Being an advocate for a local program might be the most beneficial way to help.

oh yea...

Really successful projects breed more successful projects. Promoting well developed existing projects is a great way to get others to buy into the idea.

From a very recent personal experience. I found a monarch caterpillar on a milkweed leaf just down the country lane from my farm. Yesterday I came home to find the county had mowed the grass and weeds on each side of my lane. Everything gone. I'm making a note to contact the county today to ask them to skip mowing this lane during the summer months. Imagine the thousands of larva killed every year in ditches and hedgerows by mowers.

If farmers would reschedule the mowing of pastures and the margins of their fields, that could be a help to butterflies and to ground nesting birds.

I agree!!! Not sure where to start, but this would be a wonderful thing to get started.

The guy behind me owns a couple acres (in this area, thats a pretty big lot). Anywho, the area by his yard is fenced in--leaving a HUGE vast open area which would be WONDEFUL as a wilflower or meadow garden. Its pretty remote to be used for recreation but what does he do? fertlizes, weed kills and mows the heck out of it. Even if he wanted to keep SOME lawn--why not plant SOEMTHING beneficial??? It used to be a cow farm so theere's no trees-just open ness. Such a waste and so UGLY!

I say, "down with lawns!!"

Bean Counter's post gave me an idea. If your local city, county, or community has a lot of regularly mowed areas, find out who to contact to recommend that they plant they area with wildflowers like is commonly done along some interstates. It saves lots of money and pollution, looks pretty, and could be good for various forms of wildlife.

Again, I'd be tempted to check with local groups for ideas and to see if efforts have already been made or are in the process of being made. Local nature centers might also have more pull in getting something done.

The National Wildlife Association has programs that we can all get into--you can certify your backyard, and there is even a way to get a community certified by getting as many people and businesses into "backyard conservation."

I have contacted my state's highway department about mowing, and it seems to have worked. But it could also be because of budget cuts.

I've also volunteered and put in a butterfly garden at my local library and made a handout. I think by doing these small things consistently and by spreading the word to anyone who will listen can go a long way to people reevaluating how we treat our backyards.

Here is a link that might be useful: NWF Community Habitat Certification

Nardaf, I agree with you. While Maryland has an aggressive reforestation program, less attention gets paid to meadows (I have seen one sign that says, "meadow restoration", so there's hope.).

One helpful element of the plan would be to change people's perceptions of "a beautiful lawn." I had a conversation once with a friend who looked at a meadow and said, "it looks weedy."

When I pointed out that 'weed' means 'any plant you don't want -- and we want these plants', it only made a small impact. Our culture has firmly planted the idea in our heads that letting plants grow long is a sign of irresponsibility and bad homeownership.

Until that belief changes, we will continue to mow and treat with broad-leaf weedkillers and reseed over the clover with grass seed, because doing otherwise disturbs us at an intuitive level.

But just imagine if meadows were perceived as beautiful. Within a few years, people would voluntarily change their lawn habits (I mean, do we really *want* to mow and water and edge and re-seed and fertilize?!). The incentive is there, if the culture could change.

Jeff

Actually, there are lots of programs. The USDA pays farmers to turn farms into prairies and grasslands (I am probably simplifying this, but I did meet a couple at a native plant conference who were turning their 180 acre farm into a prairie). This is to conserve natural resources. Like bernergrrl mentioned you can certify your yard with National Wildlife Federation. You can do this with Monarch Watch and NABA as well. You can work with your local land conservatory organization. This works on a local level like the Nature Conservatory. Not every area has one but many do. Or you can start one. This would allow you to create a non-profit group that gets local land owners to deed their land over to the conservatory. The owners get tax breaks until the land is passed over. You can work with your local hard working arboretum :). Many of us volunteering at public gardens are trying to spread the message of organic gardening. We also have a volunteer naturalist program. Volunteers work with visitors to parks discussing native plants and animals. There are many ways to spread the message. Volunteering wherever your talents lie is the best bet.
-Elisabeth

Interesting idea, nardaf.

Our garden is certified by the NWF and Monarch Watch and we have the signs out so people do inquire and it gives us a chance to talk about planting for wildlife. We tell them planting even a little corner of a suburban lot makes a difference. When they understand that they are happy to make that small gesture themselves.

Another idea is to write letters to the editor/media or to your community governments in support of community environmental ideas such as yours. I've found if you make an issue known at garden clubs, audubon groups, school PTOs, etc., people are often most willing to contact decisionmakers with their thoughts and talk it up in the community and even change their own habits.

Of course, these days with the internet, a catchy photo or clever e-mail can spread the word like lightning!

I believe it's the little things that everyone can do that can make change happen. When the common people accept something, the big companies and governmental organizations will fall in line, too.

I wish you lots of luck with your idea!

Thank you all so much for your great ideas and inspiration. I will first try to do some internet research on the subject and then try to put it in a convincing letter to our Park District (one has to start small, right?). It is hard enough to convince the knuckleheads in our local government to do anything that is reasonable, such converting some of the public park spaces from those awful lawns (that are obsessively mowed every few days so short, until they are no longer green but brown and dead-looking!) into an area that has more biodiversity and native flowers, "weeds" and other plants. I will also get in touch with local nature centers and garden clubs of which there are many.

If you all can do that in your local communities or with your neighbors, we'd be off to a good start.