How much Lawn do we Need?

Last summer I had the opportunity to intern with Portland Parks & Recreation’s Nature Patch program. I was super excited because I’m a long time fan of these spaces in our urban parks where turf grass has been replaced with native plants, including trees, shrubs and perennials. While turf grass has its place in moderation, for durable play areas and dog runs, for example, there are countless square miles of turf that could be put to better use without the need for excessive irrigation, fertilization and mowing.

Figure 1. Steep slopes at Lents Park in Southeast Portland were transitioned into a colorful nature patch! Difficult to maintain lawn areas such as these are prime candidates for the program.

How much lawn do we have in this country? Well it’s 49,000 square miles, equivalent to half the state of Oregon! So there’s room for improvement and it was exciting to help design a nature patch plan for Wallace Park in Northwest Portland.

I worked closely with parks staff to identify areas prime for transition; those areas where the turf was shaded out, or that could be put to better use as a stormwater swale to mitigate rainy season flooding. The plan proposes planting a wide variety of native plants to support wildlife and pollinators while creating a relaxing and inspiring natural area in this highly accessible and busy park adjacent to an elementary school. In total, the Wallace Park plan proposes native plantings and vegetated stormwater features covering 33,760 square feet, just over three quarters of an acre. The plan was submitted as part of a grant application, and hopefully I can report good news on this soon!

Figure 2. Slopes and shaded turf at Wallace Park, possible location of future nature patch!