"Weird Eco Habits" Contest Finalist: Urban Naturalization

Most TreeHuggers might not think what Terry Dube does is weird. The city inspectors where he lives, however, definitely did. You see, Terry's "weird" eco habit is his refusal to mow his lawn. For this, he had to stand up against local bylaws that deemed his lawn an "unkempt" property. Terry went to great lengths to make sure his lawn was more than just overgrown grass. By randomly planting "a few indigenous shrubs, small trees, grasses, flowers and other plants to give the tall grasses 'balance'," Terry has turned his lawn into a true habitat for native plants and animals. Terry's stand against unnecessarily manicured lawns also has the obvious benefits of saving energy - be it gasoline or manpower. After lobbying city hall, Terry's lawn is now no longer an "unmowed lawn", but rather a "natural space".

All this week, TreeHugger is highlighting finalists for our "Weird Eco Habits" contest sponsored by Greenloop. Make sure to vote for your favorite "weird" habit starting this Friday.