Greener than grass? Speaker will talk about lawn alternatives

OHIO STATE EXTENSION

Susan Weber of Columbus-based Integrity Sustainable Planning and Design will headline the next breakfast of the Environmental Professionals Network on Aug. 9 at The Ohio State University.

Weber, an expert on sustainable landscape design, will present “Transforming Our Yards: Doing More for Family and Community” as part of the 7:15 to 10:20 a.m. event in Ohio State’s Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center at 2201 Fred Taylor Drive in Columbus.

She’ll look at alternatives to growing just lawns, including using the space for trees, wildlife habitat, bee and butterfly gardens, and fruit and vegetable plantings. Benefits can include fresh food for the home, “discovery” spaces for children, less time spent mowing and lower carbon emissions.

See prairie, butterfly plants on walk

After Weber’s talk, experts from Ohio State’s nearby Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens will lead a short walk to see prairie plants and plants grown for pollinators including monarch butterflies.

The network is a service of the university’s School of Environment and Natural Resources, which in turn is in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Students, public welcome

Admission to the event is open to both members of the network and the public. Registration is $10, includes breakfast and parking, and is needed by noon Aug. 5. Registration for Ohio State students is free and also includes breakfast and parking.

The agenda, a link to online registration and details about getting the free parking are at go.osu.edu/Aug2016EPN. Students should select “Student scholarship” under payment method when they register.

For more information, contact the network’s coordinator, David Hanselmann, who’s a lecturer in the school, at hanselmann.3@osu.edu or 614-247-1908.

The school and two other Ohio State units — the Office of Energy and Environment and the Office of Student Life’s Energy Management and Sustainability program — are sponsoring the free student registrations and breakfasts.