For the sixth year in a row, Auburn participated in King County’s Natural Yard Care Neighborhoods program, a series of workshops designed to encourage King County residents to adopt natural yard care practices.
Attendees from the Lea Hill neighborhood turned out in record numbers to hear speakers talk about natural lawn care, smart watering, natural pest control, building healthy soil and other topics. On the first night of the Auburn workshops, April 20, 125 people attended.
A grant from the King County Local Hazardous Waste Management Program and funds from the City of Auburn Water and Storm Conservation Program provide funding for the yard care workshops.
“Natural Yard Care Neighborhoods teaches natural yard care techniques that anyone can put into practice to increase personal and environmental health and safety,” said Kathleen Edman, a customer care specialist with Auburn’s Solid Waste & Recycling Division, who administers the program for the city. “This year we had a fantastic turnout on all three nights, which shows there’s real enthusiasm for this topic.”
In addition to Auburn, neighborhoods in Bellevue, Kent, Bothell and Burien are holding NYCN workshops this spring. This coming fall, workshops will take place in an additional set of cities, including Redmond and Kirkland.
The program helps residents understand and accept responsibility for the potential resource and environmental impacts created by their yard care habits. Participants are taught to practice mulch mowing, eliminate the use of harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizers, use compost to improve soil health, plant the “right plants” in the “right places,” and limit watering to one inch per week.
“We’re very pleased the concept of natural yard care is resonating with our residents,” Mayor Pete Lewis said. “The program’s growth this year reflects the high level of interest people have in the natural approach to taking care of their lawns and gardens.”
Informative and knowledgeable speakers and numerous resource materials are the underpinnings of the program. Upon arrival, attendees receive personal binders full of informative sheets and booklets on different aspects of natural yard care. Attendees are also all entered into a drawing that takes place at the end of each workshop, in which they can win prizes like native plants, books on natural garden design, watering wands, compost and professional garden consultations. At the end of the third workshop, a mulching mower — the grand prize — is given away.
Natural Yard Care Neighborhoods began with a pilot program in Renton in 2000. In 2002 it was launched in central Shoreline, where residents eagerly embraced the idea of environmentally friendly yard care. Since then, more than 20 cities have implemented the NYCN program.
Doug Rice, with King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks, created the NYCN program. He believes the appeal of natural yard care is that healthier, safer, easier yard care is just smarter. “The techniques we teach take advantage of natural processes instead of expensive, artificial, chemical ‘I.V.’ feeding,” Rice said. “We’ve found that once people try it, most of them are hooked.”
Residents of Auburn who are interested in natural yard care information can contact Kathleen Edman at 253-931-3047. County residents outside of Auburn can call Doug Rice at 206-296-8360.
