Good Neighbor Iowa
Protect Iowa's children and biodiversity by choosing pesticide-free lawn care practices
Good Neighbor Iowa aims to reduce unnecessary urban pesticide use and to transform lawn culture to encourage appreciation of diverse lawns as a way to protect child health, water quality, pets, pollinators, and biodiversity. Good Neighbor Iowa is a state-wide public health initiative. Learn more and sign up to become a Good Neighbor today!
Children's Health
Children are among the most vulnerable to pesticide exposure. Pesticides are often used in high volumes in areas where children live, learn, and play. It is essential that we work to protect their health from everyday environmental hazards.
Pets & Wildlife
Pets spend a lot of time on our lawns– sniffing, rolling around in, and tracking into our homes whatever we put on our lawns. This exposes our pets to toxic chemicals and increases the exposure of pesticides inside our homes.
Water Quality
When it comes to watershed contamination, the contribution from urban pesticide application is largely ignored. However, studies have shown that commonly used lawn chemicals run off from our lawns into urban waterways, contaminating groundwater and drinking water.
Pollinators & Biodiversity
Diverse lawns and landscaping attract essential pollinators, while pesticides aim to destroy these beautiful and indispensable organisms. Pollinator habitat can be supported in lawns where flowering plant communities are allowed to flourish.
Natural vs. Artificial Turf
Is your school, park, or institution considering converting natural turf to artificial turf? It is better for both people and the planet to stick to natural grass! A conversation facilitated by the Collaborative for Health and Environment summarize some of the emerging and known health harms of artificial turf, “Researchers have studied a variety of contaminants found in artificial turf and different types of infill used to soften its surfaces. Concerns have been raised about polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 6PPD-quinone, and microplastics, among others. Studies have also examined heat related illnesses, skin infections, and other human health concerns.” Listen to the whole conversation here.
To learn more about why it’s best to avoid artificial turf, see the resources below:
Athletic Playing Fields and Playgrounds | Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
Webinar: Environmental Health Impacts of Synthetic Turf and Safer Alternatives | Collaborative for Health & Environment
Athletic Playing Fields, Selecting Safer Alternatives | Toxics Use Reduction Institute, UMass Lowell
Artificial Turf: A Health-Based Consumer Guide | Children’s Environmental Health Center, Mount Sinai
News articles:
Does playing soccer on artificial turf increase cancer risk, especially in kids? | NPR
Playing on Plastic: Artificial Turf Hazards and Safer Alternatives | Collaborative for Health & Environment Blog
Artificial Turf Health Risks - Institute for Climate Change, Environmental Health, and Exposomics, Mount Sinai
Local Champions
What is a Local Champion?
A Local Champion is a person who is passionate about seeing pesticide reduction in their community and wants to help expand the mission of Good Neighbor Iowa!
By joining the Local Champion Network, you are connecting with a group of community members and representatives of partner organizations across Iowa who are working to reduce pesticide usage in their communities to protect children and environmental health. Local Champions receive quarterly newsletters to stay connected, offer opportunities to collaborate, share resources, and hear about outreach efforts happening across the state!
Steps to Become A Local Champion
- Sign up for the GNI Local Champion Quarterly Newsletter
- Get Access to the Digital Local Champion Toolkit
- Read the Welcome document in the Digital Toolkit and Explore Local Champion Resources!
- Spread the word about Good Neighbor Iowa in your community, using the Toolkit!
- Stay up to date by reading the Local Champion Quarterly Newsletters and submit your success stories!
Learn more by visiting the Good Neighbor Iowa website!
