An upcoming lecture at the Charlemont Federated Church will challenge its participants to swap their traditional lawns for ecologically friendly meadows.
Author and landscape designer Owen Wormser will lead the July 25 discussion, drawing from his award-winning book, “Lawns into Meadows: Creating a Regenerative Landscape,” to explain why lawns harm local ecosystems and how meadows offer a low-maintenance, regenerative alternative. This lecture and question-and-answer session runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
According to New York Times contributor Margaret Roach, “Lawns into Meadows: Creating a Regenerative Landscape:” is “a really accessible, how-to book that’s also about sustainability, regeneration and beauty.”
“The book delves into different ways you can build meadows and plants that you can use for that,” said Wormser, who owns Abound Design in Conway. “Toward the end of the book, there’s a focus on education and community action around this sort of thing.”
The event, presented by the Shantigar Foundation, includes a special preview of the nonprofit’s new meadow project in Rowe. The Shantigar Foundation is a nonprofit arts and meditation center located in Rowe, with more than 250 acres of conserved land. The mission of the nonprofit is to join meditative and artistic practices with the healing power of nature, to live more peacefully on the planet, according to its website.
Wormser said he was approached by the Shantigar Foundation last fall to present his book and his ideas.
“We actually just seeded in 2.5 acres of meadow on the Shantigar property — they’re really focused on land stewardship,” Wormser said. “They’ve worked with the Franklin Land Trust to preserve land, they’ve put in trails that are open to the public and the meadow project is really part of their commitment to taking care of the land and making it as healthy as possible.”
It might be hard for some people to grapple with the idea of meadows being more ecologically friendly than lawns, which is something that Wormser acknowledges. He said that the idea is challenging for some people, because “we come from a culture where nobody tells you anything about ecology, nature, plants, so most people have no perspective; it’s not their fault.”
“Really, what I’m trying to get people to understand is that in order to create ecological landscapes, which meadows definitely are, and also low maintenance landscapes, which meadows are, people really need to trust the natural process,” Wormser said. “Trust nature, work with nature, work with plants and engage and learn over time. … That’s the key to being able to do any of this stuff.”
When building meadows, the process will be there but the results might not come as quickly. Wormser said that it could take two to three years, or in some cases, six to seven years before those plants bloom.
“That’s a long time for people,” Wormser said.
Following the lecture and question-and-answer session, there will be an opportunity to purchase the book and have it signed by Wormser. For more information, visit shantigar.org/lawns-into-meadows.
“It’s good to remind people that [the lecture is] for everybody; it’s for all levels, whether you have no experience or lots of experience,” Wormser said. “There’s going to be a lot of back-and-forth for those who want to ask questions.”
