Private: Penn South MRH Organic Lawn Conversion

Chelsea, NYC

Ongoing

As a part of the ongoing Maintenance Oversight at the Penn South Mutual Redevelopment Houses JPLA has sought out new was of improving the sustainability and ecological functionality of the campus landscape. Overall goals include creating a productive landscape that supports pollinators, contributes to the local food web, and the well-being of the residents and maintenance crew. Reducing the carbon footprint of the current maintenance practices and conserving water through design decisions are also vitally important to transition from landscape maintenance to landscape stewardship. With these goals in mind, Penn South has the opportunity to be at the forefront of urban restoration, land management and ecologically oriented landscape practices.

The first initiative will be to convert almost 6 acres of lawn area to organic lawns managed without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Traditionally managed lawns remove useful biomass such as clipping and leaves, replacing them with potentially harmful fertilizers. By integrating these naturally occurring resources back into the lawn through leaf mulching, additional nutrients can be recaptured back into the soil, increasing its health. In addition, converting some areas from turf grass to pollinator lawns with pathways creates habitats and resources for birds and insects. Several test plots have been selected and will begin experimenting with these new methods as soon as Fall 2023.