The Greater Madison Healthy Lawn Team (GMHLT) is a group of citizens in the Madison, Wisconsin area who are concerned with the health and environmental effects of pesticide and fertilizer use in our community. (Pesticide is the umbrella term for herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides - chemicals designed to kill insects, weeds, and molds.)

We realize that many people want to be good neighbors when it comes to lawn care. Some folks would like to have a "perfect" yard for their neighbors, to avoid the spread of weed seeds across property lines, hoping that their neighbors would do the same. However, the idea of a "good neighbor" is changing as we realize that these chemicals can become airborne and be inhaled, can be tracked into other's yards and homes, and are flushed into local watersheds and lakes.

In the Spring of 2005, The Greater Madison Healthy Lawn Team became a member of the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns. The Coalition is a growing popular movement of environmental, consumer, and pesticide reform groups and concerned individuals, coming together to on all levels to educate the public, retailers, landscapers and policy makers about the hazards of lawn chemicals and the viability of safe alternatives.

OUR MISSION:
Our goal is to reduce the use of toxic lawn pesticides and fertilizers in Madison Wisconsin and surrounding communities. Through regional and local outreach we provide information regarding the health and environmental impacts of toxic lawn chemicals as well as information on non-toxic lawn care.

HOW WE DO THIS
Among our methods of outreach are:

• provide web site and an email list serve
• staff information tables at farmers markets and other local venues
• supply local libraries with literature and informative displays
• provide speakers on topics such as how to maintain a toxin free lawn and the health risks of lawn pesticides
• create relationships with local business owners and realty management personnel in an attempt to reduce pesticide use on public properties
• offer a lending service of hand tools for alternative weed control
• host related events and speakers and represent our position at public hearings concerning pesticide use and its impact on local environmental and community health

We always encourage and support leadership in these areas and in-kind activities in Madison neighborhoods and surrounding communities.

We network with other environmental groups and respond to outreach opportunities as they arise.We maintain our mission's visibility with letters to the editor as well as setting up press coverage for all events we sponsor. We are a volunteer organization whose activities so far have been funded by small grants and donations.