We do not do field trips to offer advice except in the case of projects like school gardens or senior living housing. We did at one time, but found it is not the mission of the MG program and tended to dilute the MG volunteer force. Al

Thanks for your response, Al. One reason we participate in the lawns program is because we are in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and one of our goals is to help people use less fertilizer and other chemicals in their yards. Every pound of nitrogen or phosphorus we can prevent from washing into the creeks and rivers is a small step in the direction of Bay restoration. The program was started years ago with a grant from a water conservation group and has kept going. Our group does around 400 lawns a year. With the number of volunteers we have it is a good number for us without taking away from the other MG programs. We do have a small charge for it that covers the cost of the admin part, newsletters and such that go to the homeowners quarterly for a year.

Sandy