Changing Homeowners’ Lawn Care Behavior to Reduce Nutrient Runoff

The American lawn receives more care, time, and attention from individuals and households than any other natural space (Robbins 2007 Robbins, P. 2007. Lawn people: How grasses, weeds, and chemicals make us who we are. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. [Google Scholar]). Given the ubiquity of turf grass across the American landscape and the importance of associated environmental impacts, a growing body of research exists that investigates lawn care behaviors or the factors that influence them. To extend that research tradition, the project reported here was designed to understand lawn care practices, attitudes, and values in urbanizing New England communities and to elucidate the correlates of environmentally friendly lawn care behavior. Findings can be used to inform the development of successful outreach and education to facilitate meaningful behavioral change. The results indicate that a high level of concern for environmental issues and water quality exists among homeowners, and identify important factors related to willingness to engage in alternative lawn care practices to protect water quality.