This just in from Mike Helms of Cornell University:

The EPA has created a series of new videos to encourage homeowners and communities to adopt healthy lawn care practices as a means of reducing pesticide risk to human health and the environment. Healthy, environmentally friendly lawn and landscape practices can reduce erosion, stream sedimentation, flooding and runoff of pollutants into local waterways as well as risk of pesticide exposure to children, adults, pets and wildlife.

The video series was developed to educate homeowners, garden clubs, civic associations and others seeking a healthy, environmentally friendly lawn. In addition, the video was created as an educational tool to assist federal, state and local government agencies, Master Gardeners and community-based groups with their existing outreach and education efforts. The series is available in a 4-minute format, an extended 11-minute format and several short, topic-specific versions. Topics covered include soil testing, watering, mowing, weed and pest control, fertilizer use, aerating soil and controlling runoff.

To view the EPA’s new healthy lawn care practices videos, visit: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/lawncare/.