Sustainable Landscape

The Town of Stoneham invites you to improve the climate resilience of privately owned properties. In partnership with the towns of Arlington and Winchester, we are creating a Sustainable Landscape Handbook usable by all three communities, coupled with training sessions led by sustainable landscaping experts. 

Sustainable Landscaping: Think Outside the Lawn

The landscaping practices we choose can have important impacts beyond mere aesthetics. They can also impact water quality, soil erosion, flooding, and the ability of birds, insects and other wildlife to survive. A sustainable landscape can be beautiful without sacrificing those other important values. In fact, it can enhance them.

Sustainable Landscape Handbook and Training Sessions

A lot of property owners want to maintain their yards in more sustainable ways, but don't know where to start, and/or don't want to pay a professional landscape designer. We have a solution! Winchester was recently awarded a grant to help homeowners, landscapers and others learn how to maintain properties in ways that save water, reduce pesticides, improve wildlife and pollinator habitat, reduce soil erosion, and make properties more attractive. With a grant from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Winchester will create a Sustainable Landscape Handbook and hold training sessions on sustainable landscaping practices. The Handbook and training sessions will be appropriate for a variety of audiences, from novice do-it-yourselfers to professional landscapers. The project will run throughout the 2023 calendar year. The Handbook and recordings of the training sessions will then be available from this website permanently.

Upcoming Sustainable Landscape Training Sessions

Workshop series is offered through the Accelerating Climate Resilience (ACR) Municipal Grant Program with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council in partnership with the Barr Foundation. Learn more about other projects funded through the ACR Program here: https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/accelerating-resiliency/ 

Workshop #1: Sustainable Landscape Design - Complete
Tuesday April 11, 5 - 7 PM
Stoneham Town Hall Auditorium, 35 Central Street
Contents: 
- How to analyze your yard
- Goals & Vision for your space
- What questions to ask your designer/ landscaper (for those who do not undertake the project on their own) to ensure that you are starting off sustainably
- Sustainable approaches (lawn alternatives, native plants, minimize lawn, reduced water use)

Workshop 1 Information - Click Here

Workshop #2: Sustainable Landscape Construction / Implementation
Saturday May 20, 1 - 3 PM
Winchester Public Library, 80 Washington St., Winchester
Contents: 
- Erosion control methods
- Where to find locally grown native plant material
- Great questions to ask the nursery
- Minimizing land disturbance on your property

Workshop #3: Sustainable Landscape Maintenance
Thursday June 8, 11 AM - 1 PM
 Arlington Community Center, 27 Maple St., Arlington
Contents: 
- Pest management
- Reduced and reused water on your property
- Organic fertilizers

Contact Director of Planning & Community Development Erin at EWortman@stoneham-ma.gov with any questions.