Wildlife lawns

My son worked at a country club north of here, and I saw what they did. They were putting diazinon on. It rained, and it killed all of the ducks at the country club. The country club didn t want anyone to know about it, so they hired him [Walter s son] to put them all in a dump truck and take them away. And I m thinking, geez, you know there s some really horrible environmental effects here. Obviously, if it kills ducks, it kills fish too. It says that on the bag [of pesticide], but you know you don t pay much attention to that. StiU, it goes down the drain. I want a nice looking lawn, but I don t want to endanger any [wildlife]. 

Despite new trends for decking and patios, a lawn remains a garden essential for many of us. Wildlife certainly gains more benefit from a lawn than from any hard surface, and it acts as a good soakaway for heavy rainfall. From perfect turf to hard-wearing play area, all types of lawn can be managed organically. 

Everything we put down the drain or flush (down the commode) ends up in our watersheds which can affect the health of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, plants, the atmosphere, and the water quality in our area. Residential and commercial use of chemicals constitutes a very large, nonpoint source of environmental contamination. A typical source of environmental contaminants are products used for household use such as cleaning agents, surfactants, pesticides, fertilizers, lawn and garden treatments, paints, sealants, and even discarded or flushed medicines. It is imperative that those seeking a healthy lifestyle and reduction in pollutant exposure choose with care the products they use to clean and maintain their homes, yards, and pets. 

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