So, you know I went pesticide free on my front and side lawns this past April (the back has been pesticide free for years). I've had the Pesticide-Free Zone ladybug sign from Beyond Pesticides in my mailbox food garden ever since I planted it in June. And Gregg from Earth Balance Organics just did a compost tea application to my whole lawn. But nothing has prepared me for what is about to happen . . .
The very hardworking and far-more-persuasive-than-I folks at Sustainable Peachtree Corners (they turned all their area schools into idle-free zones in something like the snap of a finger, for instance) are about to lob a challenge to the citizens of Dunwoody, and frankly, I'm concerned! They are on a kick to see which community can have the highest number of residents who commit to going pesticide-free on their lawns in 2009! The number 1000 keeps getting bandied around. In-depth talks with the Beyond Pesticides folks in Washington DC for discounts on the ladybug signs are ongoing. Pledges to sign. Websites to visit. Public proclamations via press releases are in the works. Policies for pesticide-free government property and public greenspace. And there's talk of Alpharetta getting in on the mix as well.
Oh, my. We're a sleepy, private sort of community that doesn't really want to mess with things like activism, aren't we? Do we even want to get involved with this? I mean, there is the whole reducing-the-known-carcinogens-to-which-our-children-and-pets-are-exposed thing, and the whole poisoning of our watershed and all, not to mention the increased reliance on petroleum that pesticides represent (and aren't we trying to reduce that?), but, I mean, c'mon, can we really be bothered with this?
If you're like me, you probably want to do nothing. For what it's worth, that's exactly what I did do. To my lawn (with the exception of the recent compost tea). It doesn't have to be complicated.
Peachtree Corners is about to lob the challenge to us. What should we say? Fair warning: I know these people and I have full confidence they are going to make it happen in their community.
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5 comments:
I too reside in Dunwoody and do not put chemicals on my lawns either. I have never thought about putting out a sign under my mailbox but I am now going to do so. What a wonderful way to show our children as well as our adult neighbors that it truly can be done.
I don't use fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides on the weed field I call my front yard. The back yard is virtually wild.
I don't water it either as intentionally dumping highly purified potable water on the ground, in large quantities, simply doesn't pass the "alien test". However on my early morning dogwalks around my neck of the (dun)woods I have noticed an increasing disregard for the current water restrictions. Almost all neighbors with a sprinkler system have been watering illegally after aerating and over-seeding.
These folks may be in the minority, but it is a significant minority. Even a moderately committed community would clean our clocks.
Rich Ideas and TOD: you can get the ladybug signs at www.beyondpesticides.org
C'mon Dunwoody! I'm getting ready to write my Jan. Inside Gwinnett article & need to know if you are in! You have size on your side as we are much smaller. And, Pattie- aren't you the one who first came up with the competition idea???
~Robin~
Robin; No, no, no, I think it was Judy's idea, wasn't it?
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