The 'Grass Roots' Initiative: Bringing Turfgrass Science to the Public

For years, professionals throughout the turfgrass industry have been striving to communicate to the public about the importance of turfgrass for a variety of uses in modern day life. In the United States the turfgrass industry has faced increased public and media scrutiny. Many misperceptions about the industry have evolved and continue among the general public and policymakers. In 2012, the National Turfgrass Federation (NTF), a non-profit trade organization that promotes the turfgrass industry, began collaborating with the US National Arboretum to develop the ‘Grass Roots’ Initiative. The ‘Grass Roots’ Initiative was officially launched in late 2013 and is scheduled to continue through 2018. The goal of the Initiative is to provide basic turfgrass outreach and education while promoting the environmental, economic, aesthetic, and recreational benefits of turfgrass. The Initiative is comprised of five primary component parts: (i) a 0.5 ha exhibit at the US National Arboretum with examples of turfgrasses, ornamental grasses, and food grasses; (ii) turfgrass management educational programming conducted in the form of workshops, exhibit tours, and presentations in the Washington, DC area; (iii) a website which complements and augments the information presented in the exhibit; (iv) development of the National Greenscape Corridor to expand public outreach and education to other public landscapes in Washington, DC; (v) policymaker outreach to promote the economic and environmental functions of turfgrass; (vi) facilitating construction and ongoing exhibit-related support of a second ‘Grass Roots’ exhibit at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Integrating all of these facets, the ‘Grass Roots’ Initiative is providing an important opportunity to present pertinent, science-based information about the benefits of turfgrass to members of the public, media, government officials and horticultural interest groups (i.e. garden writers, garden clubs, etc.).