Grant awarded to communicate natural lawn care practices in Illinois

Posted October 17th, 2018 in Featured, News
house with a large, healthy lawn

 

URBANA, Ill. – Seven projects have been selected to receive funding in the 2018 Interdisciplinary Collaboration Extension (ICE) grant competition.

ICE grants fund partnerships between University of Illinois Extension personnel and faculty in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences for projects that will use campus-based research to enhance the quality of life of people in communities across Illinois. Project themes vary widely—from improving school nutrition programs to helping farmers manage nitrogen application—but all focus on research with practical applications for Illinois residents.

Each winning team will receive up to $60,000 that can be spent over two years to enact their projects. Of 22 total proposals submitted for review, seven were selected for funding, described below. All departmental affiliations are in the College of ACES unless noted otherwise.

Targeting natural lawn care communications to homeowners in Illinois

Principal Investigator: Sarah Zack, Pollution Prevention Extension Specialist, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Co-Principal Investigator: Lulu Rodriguez, Agricultural Communications Program Director

Collaborators: Allison Neubauer, Great Lakes Outreach Associate, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant; Haley Haverback, Extension Watershed Outreach Associate; Jennifer Woodyard, Extension Watershed Outreach Associate

Conventional lawn care methods are resource intensive: Approximately 89 million pounds of pesticide-fertilizer products (weed and feed) are applied annually, and outdoor irrigation comprises 30 percent of community water demand in summer. In this project, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and College of ACES Agricultural Communications investigators will address lawn care-related pollution in watersheds by developing, piloting, and assessing a natural lawn care communication campaign in three Illinois communities.

 

Information on the other six funded projects can be found in the University of Illinois Extension news release.

Sources: Shelly Nickols-Richardson, 217-244-4498, nickrich@illinois.edu; Kim Kidwell, 217-333-0460, kkidwell@illinois.edu

Media contacts: Deborah Seiler, 217-300-5571, dlseiler@illinois.edu; LeAnn Ormsby, 217-244-4786, lormsby@illinois.edu

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Register Now for HASTI 2026! The early bird registration rate expires tomorrow!We’re excited to be presenting The Watershed Game at the conference. The game is a hands-on activity that helps educators and students explore water quality, land use, and community decision-making.✅ Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with fellow educators and bring new tools to your classroom!📅 Event Details & Registration at the link in bio.

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Keeping on top of your farm finances can be a daunting task, but knowing what numbers to track, what the numbers mean, when to spend, and when to save can be critical for the long-term health of your aquaculture business finances. This webinar series will provide you with an overview of practical information for managing your farm’s finances. All webinars begin at 12pm ET. Registrants will be sent a webinar recording. All recordings will be added to a YouTube playlist on Ohio Sea Grant and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant YouTube pages.Learn more at the link in bio.

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Educators—this is for you!Unlock the potential of Great Lakes education with the latest issue of the Center for Great Lakes Literacy newsletter. Explore exciting opportunities like vessel-based learning, an aquaculture competition, and classroom-ready resources on maritime heritage, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and more!Learn more at the link in bio.