By Anonymous
The traditional manicured green lawn has been a national staple since the birth of the ‘American Dream’ – originating in Europe in the 1700’s, the concept of closely cut lawns quickly gained popularity in the Americas in the last few centuries (Pennington 2020). As it is a fairly recent development in landscaping, it would make sense that lawns are still a favored means of maintaining greenspace; however, research has proven that keeping a lawn is actually an extremely unsustainable practice. Contrary to popular belief, most grasses that occupy American lawns are non-native and are in fact invasive – the introduction of lawns in America are primarily to blame for the rise of highly invasive plants, like English ivy and Japanese wisteria (Wagner 2019 Curbed). As these grasses are non-native, their interaction with native wildlife can be detrimental. They absorb resources, like freshwater, nutrients, and fossil fuels for upkeep and mowing, while also displacing native ecosystems and introducing chemicals into the soil.
George Mason University, a relatively sustainable college, is still a culprit of maintaining these manicured lawns on campus. A big driver for these lawns is aesthetics – often surrounded by landscaping or architecture, these greenspaces can be a nice contrast paired with their urban surroundings. Another reason could be student involvement – large lawns allow for students to socialize and relax, as well as keep an open space for an event. There are upsides to these lawns, but when regarding the health and wellbeing of the ecosystem and its wildlife, they need to go.
I decided to focus on the greenspace next to Mason Pond – while it is a beautiful area to lounge, these lawns have the potential to be a thriving habitat for countless species. Planting native grasses in the area will strengthen biodiversity and help pollinators (including the bees at the campus apiaries!). Overall, killing lawns and replacing them with native foliage would benefit overall campus health, ecological and physical. The elimination of lawns significantly lowers the risk of runoff and exposure to chemicals from fertilizer, while also providing a beautiful, functional greenspace.
