Winning the title of "World's Ugliest Lawn" isn't usually something gardeners would be proud of, but one was happy to accept the accolade.
According to CNN, Kathleen Murray, who lives in Sandford in Tasmania, Australia, received the honor after participating in a global competition that intended to raise awareness of water conservation.
"I am terribly proud! I knew I would have my five minutes of fame; even if it was for having the ugliest lawn on the planet! I am now liberated of ever mowing my lawn again," Murray said in a press release announcing her victory. She was awarded a certificate and a recycled T-shirt proclaiming her as "proud owner of the world's ugliest lawn."
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Competition organizers said that Murray's yard "boasts deep, dry divots created by three wild bandicoots (small marsupials endemic to Australia) and not one dust-covered decimeter is wasted on watering."
The competition was launched by Gotland in Sweden, and originally drew headlines as a competition just for Sweden, before deciding to expand worldwide. The company explained the rationale of the initiative by stating, "Huge amounts of water are used to water lawns for aesthetics. As the world gets warmer, water scarcity is a growing problem."
Hollywood actress and environmentalist Shailene Woodley collaborated with Gotland on the initiative and called it "an excellent way to influence people to use less water."
Green lawns typically require large amounts of water to maintain, which can be costly. However, the problem has been exacerbated as drought periods grow more frequent due to the overheating heating of the planet.
CNN noted that UNESCO data determined that water scarcity in urban areas "is projected to affect up to 2.4 billion people by 2050." Those figures pushed Gotland to launch its global competition.
"By not watering lawns for aesthetic reasons, we can protect the availability of groundwater," the competition organizers said. They went on to add, "Gotland aims to save water by changing the green lawn norm and showing Sweden and the world that sustainable behavior doesn't have to be dull."
Murray is now a shining example of just that, and she received a message of gratitude from Gotland.
"For that, the planet, and its dwindling stockpiles of life-giving liquid, thanks you, Kathleen, as well as those naughty, naughty bandicoots pockmarking your property for the greater good," the company stated in a press release.
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