CWEL Webinar July 14, 2026

"Built to Survive: What Grass Ecology and Evolution Teach Us About Sustainable Lawns in the Intermountain West "

Date & Time: July 14, 2026 @ 2:00 pm

Location: Online via Zoom

CEUs Provided: (1) IA, (1) QWEL, & (1) UCNP

CWEL Webinar is FREE to attend. Click Here for the webinar Registration.

If you need CEUs, you MUST ALSO register for a ticket using the REGISTER NOW button on this page. 

Registration for CEUs is FREE for UNLA members and $10 for non-members.  After you are registered, you will receive a link for the webinar in your confirmation e-mail. Certificates of attendance will be emailed after the webinar.

Introduction: Lawns are often discussed in simple terms-good or bad, wasteful or necessary, but the ecology of grasses tells a more complex story. Many turfgrasses evolve under drought, grazing, and other pressures that made them resilient and adapted to stressful conditions. While lawn grasses shouldn’t be planted everywhere, they provide valuable functions in urban landscapes when considering the expectations and environments. This presentation will examine the ecology and evolution of grasses, compare native and well-adapted turf species for the Intermountain West, and explore how ecological thinking can guide more sustainable lawn management. 

Our Presenter:  Dr. Paul G. Johnson is a Professor in the USU S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources and the Associate Director of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station. He earned his PhD in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota in 1995 and has spent the past 28 years at USU building a research and teaching program that has centered on sustainable turfgrass management for the Intermountain West. He also loves teaching and has mentored many students and faculty throughout his career.