Every day, University of Connecticut students journey across campus to make their way to classes, dining halls and dorms. Often, they are too absorbed in their own lives to notice the world around them. Yet at their feet is a vast green carpet of great ecological interest. Across campus, UConn’s lawns present a picture of order and horticultural perfection. But beneath the surface, however, they are among the university’s most resource-intensive and environmentally costly features. These lawns, composed almost entirely of Kentucky bluegrass, demand frequent mowing, fertilizer and pesticide application in order to remain viable in New England’s climate. The result is high recurring costs for the university, significant greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient runoff that pollutes local waterways. To address these problems, UConn must phase out its traditional turf grass in favor of “polylawns”– diverse, low-input lawns that conserve resources, enhance biodiversity, and better align with UConn’s commitment to sustainability.
UConn’s current lawn system is a monoculture, which is an ecosystem dominated by a single species, in this case Kentucky bluegrass. This results from the highly competitive nature of the plant; its dense subterranean rhizomes crowd out other species, creating a thick carpet that deters other growth. Ecologically, this has many implications. Monocultures are fragile ecosystems vulnerable to disease and climate stress. Kentucky bluegrass, for instance, is prone to fungal infections. If mildew were to spread across campus, as is common for Connecticut during the fall, campus lawns could quickly collapse with no way to recover. Currently, UConn prevents this through pesticide and chemical application, but this use leads to other problems. The runoff of these pesticides, combined with nitrogen-rich fertilizer, leaks into the waterways of campus, creating a toxic mix that kills aquatic wildlife and promotes algae blooms. This nutrient overload, known as eutrophication, is a serious issue on our campus, visible at both Mirror and Swan Lakes.
UConn’s current lawncare is also incredibly unsustainable. Not only is turf grass incredibly expensive to maintain, but it also requires a high water cost. Kentucky bluegrass needs upwards of one inch of water per week, amounting to over 27,000 gallons of water per acre. For reference, the UConn Storrs campus spans 4,000 acres. While not all of this is devoted to lawn grass, the water demand is still monumental. Finally, the carbon dioxide cost of monocultural lawns must not be discounted. The carbon emissions associated with residential lawn fertilizers average 195 pounds of greenhouse gas per acre, plus an additional 104 pounds per acre from pesticide application. This means for an average sized lawn, about 0.4 acres, the chemicals used account for 179 pounds of CO2 annually. Scaled to UConn’s campus, this represents a significant and unnecessary emission burden.
If Kentucky bluegrass is an outdated model of campus landscaping, then polyculture lawns, or “polylawns,” offer a practical, sustainable alternative. Unlike monocultures, which rely on constant input in order to remain viable, polylawns are composed of diverse species. An ideal mix for UConn could include fine fescues, buffalo grass, Pennsylvania sedge, chamomile, clover, moss and thyme. Together, these plants would form a resilient perennial ground cover that would require little irrigation or chemical fertilizer once established. Indeed, the mixed crop cover would actually promote soil health, improving it over time. These polylawns would preserve soil moisture, suppress weeds, prevent erosion and provide habitat for pollinators and beneficial soil organisms. Where turf grass demands maintenance, a UConn polylawn would work with the environment to sustain itself.
UConn is already positioned to make this transition. Already, it has piloted alternative plantings in some garden beds, as well as the slopes near the George W. Sherman Sports Complex. Transitioning fully would be relatively simple: existing lawns would be mowed short, tilled lightly and overseeded with polyculture mixes. This process can also be phased in gradually, spreading the costs over several years while steadily reducing the need for chemical and labor costs.
The benefits of this shift would be wide-ranging. Environmentally, polylawns would reduce runoff into our lakes, curb greenhouse emissions from mowing and improve ecological diversity on campus. Financially, the university would spend less on irrigation, chemicals and labor, achieving long term savings that would outweigh upfront establishment costs. Aesthetically, polylawns would provide seasonal variety and visual interest, offering an attractive alternative to the current monotony. Most importantly, the change would demonstrate UConn’s commitment to sustainability in a highly visible way, making the campus itself a symbol of environmental progress.
It’s time for UConn to grow smarter, not harder. Only through the growth of polylawns can UConn’s campus ecology manage to be substantially improved. They are a simple, proven solution that only requires the will to act. UConn already prides itself on sustainability in the classroom; it’s time for the landscape to reflect that same commitment.