U.S. National Arboretum interim director Margaret Pooler delivers opening remarks to 75 invited guests, including representatives from the USDA and the National Arboretum who attended the "Grass Roots" grand opening on
October 16, 2014.

"Grass Roots," a first-of-its-kind interactive outdoor exhibit was recently unveiled at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

As the centerpiece of a 4-year initiative to focus on the environmental, economic, aesthetic, and recreational benefits of turfgrass in landscapes, golf courses, and athletic fields, the exhibit also highlights the results of turfgrass research, and attempts to demonstrate that the best grasses are developed and managed with their purposes in mind: linking landscape elements, conserving soil and preventing erosion, managing stormwater runoff, providing safe places for recreation and green space in urban environments, and beautifying landscapes.

The effort is part of the Grass Roots Initiative, a collaborative project between the U.S. National Arboretum and the National Turfgrass Federation. Besides the exhibit, the program consists of extensive turfgrass management information on the Web that complements it; workshops, product demonstrations, and symposia; and plans to develop the National Greenscape Corridor, which would link the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery, and the
National Arboretum.

Grass Roots' design was developed by a team, which was led by the Arboretum's head horticulturist Scott Aker and included Rain Underground, a Baltimore-based landscape architect firm, Arboretum staff and representatives from the National Turfgrass Federation.

Situated in a 1.3-acre space adjacent to the Arboretum's administration building and visitor center, it consists of 12 stations, including sports fields, a scaled down golf hole, an irrigation display, a fertilizer display, a kiosk featuring information about common turf diseases and pests, and a lawn display featuring swards of 12 different warm-and cool-season grass varieties.

The "Danthonia" station informs visitors about the development of a potentially new turf grass species and how science plays a major role in improving it. Danthonia spicata is a native grass common on the East Coast of the United States, and research is focused on its unique reproductive biology and its ability to tolerate low-fertility soils.

"Future turfgrasses will be more drought-tolerant, pest-resistant, and persistent under harsh environmental conditions, which are areas of ARS (USDA's Agriculture Research Service) research," says Margaret Pooler, the U.S. National Arboretum's interim director.

On October 18 and 19, the exhibit welcomed the public for a grand opening weekend. The roughly 800 visitors had the opportunity to view and engage with the interactive displays, pick up lawn care information bulletins from Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland, and participate in various family-oriented activities, including putting on the golf green, playing soccer and croquet on the sports field and playing a turf scavenger hunt.

An "encore" of the opening weekend activities was held on Saturday, October 25 and hosted over 400 visitors.

Planning is already underway for outreach and educational programs for next season, including a series of lawn care workshops in the spring, an equipment field day, and professional symposia.