Lawn Conversion and Green Infrastructure–Why and How? (Part 1)

Join WeConservePA and guest speakers from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Forestry, Rural and Community Forestry section for a two-part presentation on the whys and how-to’s of lawn conversion and green infrastructure.

DCNR launched its Lawn Conversion program in 2020. Born out of the Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, this statewide program’s goal is to improve water quality through converting mowed grass lawn areas to either forest or meadow, both of which help to improve infiltration and remove pollutants in stormwater runoff. In this session, we will cover how the lawn conversion program was envisioned and how it is currently operating, how DCNR is working to make lawn conversion funding and technical assistance available to partner organizations working with landowners in Pennsylvania, the basics of designing and implementing lawn conversion projects, and the challenges that come with converting lawn to meadow or forest.