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    Department of Conversation and Natural Resources

    Request Help Converting Your Lawn to Habitat

    One way to reduce your environmental footprint is by turning your yard into habitat. The Lawn to Habitat Program is available statewide and aims to support those who want to convert their yard into a meadow or woods. 

    Lawn Conversation Program Contact Form

    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

    • 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 wood or meadow.

    The department can provide technical assistance and resources, support partnership development and projects, and fund eligible plantings.

    Many conservation partners are involved in these efforts, including non-profit organizations, local governments, and private landscape professionals; and there may be local assistance available.

    Learn more about how you can get involved:

    Lawn owners:

    Anyone with a lawn can plant woods or meadows, but you may need help choosing species, figuring out the steps involved, or talking with your neighbors.

    Use the Contact Form to reach 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.

     

    Landscape professionals:

    The department has limited opportunities to direct contract with pre-qualified vendors to plant acres of lawn to habitat projects.

    Learn more about the department’s Ecological Restoration Services Contract on the Department of General Services ITQ Documents and Information webpage.

    All Commonwealth contracts are awarded through a competitive bidding process.

    Conservation professionals:

    The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community and Watershed Forestry grants opportunity is available to non-profits, local governments, and academic institutions looking to implement lawn conversion projects and build local lawn to habitat programs.

    The department also can help conservation organizations by providing technical resources, networking and training opportunities, and program development guidance.

    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. They need little watering, as they are drought-tolerant. They don't require a green thumb to keep them appealing, but good planning is a must.

    What about the neighbors?

    Perspectives are changing about the traditional lawn. We must rethink yard management. We face, among other issues, a sharp decline in pollinators and climate change.

    There are beautiful options for residential landscapes that provide additional benefits.

    Penn State Extension offers a number of suggestions for talking with neighbors in its fact sheet on Neighborly Natural Landscaping.

    Mowing a strip around the meadow or posting a sign can show that the area is intentional, well-managed, and desirable.

    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 planting 5,000 acres of meadows by 2025 to improve watersheds and waterways in Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay -- with a side benefit of habitat for wildlife and pollinators.