The Native Yard Project - Cash for Grass Program

Who We Are

The Native Yard Project is a volunteer organization operating under the auspices of The North Central Ohio Land Conservancy. 

We assist our community members in learning how to create and maintain life-sustaining landscapes by way of native plants and ecological landscape management
practices.

These practices play a crucial role in combating our current biodiversity crisis; the rapid decline and disappearance of pollinators and other wildlife that are
necessary for a functioning ecosystem, which is necessary for human survival and well-being.

Our goal is to make the creation of a native yard simple, affordable, beautiful, ecologically beneficial and actionable for all-- regardless of ability, resources
or yard size.

Year three of a lawn to meadow conversion in Mansfield.

We offer free services to Richland County residents, including:

• Annual “Cash for Grass” grants to offset the cost of native plants and/or
seeds
• Free consultations to help with design and planning
• Curated resources and educational materials
• Advocacy for property-owners
• Educational events/Speaking

Growing a native yard may, at times, buck tradition. So, it's important to cultivate a community of folks who can offer encouragement to each other and share their own native gardening knowledge and experience. We aim to be a
catalyst of this community-building and, in the process, create a new yard culture that is not only beautiful, but beneficial to both humans and wildlife.

Community unlawning project at Liberty Park, Mansfield (Spring 2024)

Cash for Grass Grant Program

Our program is modeled after similar initiatives in water-starved western states that pay residents to replace water intensive lawns with native landscapes, thus
conserving water. Similarly, the biodiversity crisis threatens human well-being and is deserving of such measures nationwide.

In spring of 2024 , we launched our first ever “Cash for Grass Grant Program”. The amount of applications we received was much more than expected, how
heartening! And also much more than we had the funds to cover.

So, we invited the Richland County Soil and Water Conservation District to partner with us. Together, we approved thirteen applications. To date, about half
of those participants have completed their projects. The rest will have until 2025 to finish installing their plants or seeds. Some of whom, will be doing winter
seeding and fall planting this season.

A Cash for Grass project completed this summer, grantee planted red-twig dogwood shrubs

The Tower Lakes Community used a portion of their grant funds to plant native flowers around their gazebo.

Your donation to The Native Yard Project will help fund our 2025 Cash for Grass Grant Program. This program is a simple and effective way to get more native plants into the ground. Thus, increasing the numbers of pollinators and other beneficial wildlife present in our community and making us resilient to the ripple effects of species loss.

To learn more about our Cash for Grass program visit: 

https://www.facebook.com/nativeyardproject/

https://www.greenpatchgarden.com/cash-for-grass-grants