Overview
In Pennsylvania, there are two million acres of lawn.
Maintaining a lawn takes work. Grass needs fertilizer because the soil is poor. Also, fertilizers run off into streams when it rains.
Turf wants water when the weather doesn’t provide it. Mowing takes time and energy. It also removes food for pollinators, causing them to disappear.
To reduce your footprint, help provide clean water, and welcome birds and beneficial insects, let go of all that grass!
Converting some or all of your lawn to woods or meadow:
- Shows you are a good steward of the land,
- Adds natural diversity and interest to your backyard, and
- Reduces the time you spend mowing.
Native trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, and warm-season grasses are better than turf grass for keeping soil and nutrients in place.
How to Get Help Converting Your Lawn to a Meadow
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Lawn to Habitat Program is available statewide and aims to support those who wish to convert excess acres of lawn to woods or meadow.
The Department can provide technical assistance and resources, support partnership development and projects, and financial support and education to landowners and communities.
Many conservation partners are involved in these efforts, including non-profit organizations, local governments, and private landscape professionals. There may be local assistance available to you.
Learn more about opportunities for support:
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Community and Watershed Forestry Grants
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Landscaping with Native Plants
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Penn State Extension Neighborly Natural Landscaping
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Mowing Savings Calculator (XLSM)
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Introduction to Insects (PDF)
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Penn State Extension Meadows and Praries: Wildlife Friendly Alternatives for Lawn
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Penn State Wildland Weed Management
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Xerces Society Establishing Pollinator Meadows from Seed
Pocket Meadow Kits
Through DCNR’s Lawn to Habitat Program, we are offering free Pocket Meadow Kits to help residents convert small areas of lawn into native meadow habitat.
Each Pocket Meadow Kit will contain:
- Native seed mix suitable for up to 1,000 square feet
- Printed educational materials to help you prepare, plant, and maintain your meadow
A total of 300 kits will be distributed statewide, with 100 kits offered in three regions. Kits are expected to ship during the week of May 11.
Registration will open at 9 a.m. on the following dates and all forms will close at 4 p.m. Friday, May 1:
Counties in the Central Region are:
- Adams
- Bedford
- Blair
- Centre
- Clinton
- Cumberland
- Dauphin
- Franklin
- Fulton
- Huntingdon
- Juniata
- Lancaster
- Lebanon
- Lycoming
- Mifflin
- Montour
- Northumberland
- Perry
- Potter
- Snyder
- Tioga
- Union
- York
Counties in the Wester Region are:
- Allegheny
- Armstrong
- Beaver
- Butler
- Cambria
- Cameron
- Clarion
- Clearfield
- Crawford
- Elk
- Erie
- Fayette
- Forest
- Greene
- Indiana
- Jefferson
- Lawrence
- McKean
- Mercer
- Somerset
- Venango
- Warren
- Washington
- Westmoreland
Counties in the Eastern Region are:
- Berks
- Bradford
- Bucks
- Carbon
- Chester
- Columbia
- Delaware
- Lackawanna
- Lehigh
- Luzerne
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Northampton
- Philadelphia
- Pike
- Schuylkill
- Sullivan
- Susquehanna
- Wayne
- Wyoming
Technical Assistance and Education
The Department's Watershed Forestry staff provide technical assistance, presentations, and educational workshops to support landowners and communities interested in lawn to habitat projects:
- Project planning and design
- Species selection
- Planting recommendations
- Maintenance recommendations
- Funding and program opportunities
The department also supports conservation organizations, municipal staff, facility managers, and other professionals by providing technical resources, networking and training opportunities, and program development guidance.
Email the department’s Lawn to Habitat Program staff to request more information about the types of assistance DCNR can provide. Keep mowing your property until you're ready to begin site preparation.
Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2) Grants
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community and Watershed Forestry grants opportunity is available to nonprofits, local governments, and academic institutions looking to implement lawn conversion projects and build local lawn to habitat programs. The application period opens annually from January to April.
If you’re a private landowner seeking financial support for a project, you cannot apply for the C2P2 grant opportunity. There may be a local program that can support you; reach out to learn more.
Benefits of Backyard Meadows and Woods
Converting lawn to meadows and woods provides many environmental benefits, including:
Turf grass has shallow roots, and lawn soils are compacted. This limits water absorption during rain. As a result, runoff collects fertilizers and pollutants from your yard and street. It then carries them into nearby streams.
Meadows and woods are better than lawns at absorbing stormwater and preventing flooding. Their deep roots help the water soak in.
Wildflower meadows and native trees offer food and cover for pollinators, butterflies, and songbirds; and reduce the need for the pesticides that impact them.
While not as neat and clean as a traditional lawn, meadows can contain up to 100 species of plants and are beautiful!
Meadows and woods are low-maintenance (not no-maintenance). They need little watering, as they are drought-tolerant. They don't require a green thumb to keep them appealing, but good planning, preparation, and post-planting care is a must.
What about the neighbors?
We can restore habitat where we live, work, and play. While perspectives are changing about the traditional lawn, others may expect a more manicured landscape around homes and spaces that people frequent.
As you're planning your lawn to habitat project, integrate "cues to care" that signal that the area is intentional, well-managed, and desirable:
- Mowed edges along the planting, especially along paths and sidewalks
- Plant shorter plants along the edge of the plantings
- Maintain 30-feet from meadows and any structures
- Post an informational sign
Penn State Extension offers a number of suggestions for talking with neighbors in its fact sheet on Neighborly Natural Landscaping.
Pennsylvania’s Watershed Forestry Initiative
Restoring and maintaining woods and meadows across the Commonwealth is a key strategy for improving water quality and habitat.
As part of the Watershed Forestry effort, the Commonwealth has a goal of converting 10,000 acres of lawns to forests and meadows to improve watersheds and waterways in Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay, while also providing habitat for wildlife and pollinators.