What does it really take to transform a conventional lawn into a thriving native meadow?

In this free Wild Ones National Webinar, Sara Weaner Cooper, owner and principal of New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL), shares a candid look at her family’s ongoing lawn-to-meadow transformation, featured in The New York Times and BBC. She’ll explore the decisions, methods, successes, surprises, and challenges that have shaped the landscape over multiple growing seasons.

Replacing turfgrass with a native meadow can support biodiversity and create a more dynamic home landscape—but meadow establishment isn’t an instant process. Sara will share practical insights from her family’s experience, including site preparation, planting, weed management, plant competition, and long-term maintenance.

You'll learn:

How to evaluate whether a meadow is right for your site
Ways to prepare turfgrass for meadow establishment
Different planting and establishment methods
How to manage weeds and plant competition
What to expect as a native meadow changes over time

Sara Weaner Cooper is the owner and principal of New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL). Her family’s experimental transition from lawn to native meadow was featured in The New York Times in 2024 and BBC in 2025. She has presented on the project for organizations including the Ecological Landscape Alliance and Grow Native Massachusetts.

This webinar is presented in collaboration with New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL).

Can't make it live? The webinar will be recorded and shared with all registrants after the premiere.

Online (link provided with registration)
Register: https://wildones.org/from-lawn-to-meadow/