The Field Fund

Project Details

Year: 2018 and 2019
Location: Martha's Vineyard
Project Manager: Mollie Doyle, Dardanella Slavin, Rebekah Thomson
Partners:

The Field Fund, Inc. offers support to all Martha's Vineyard schools and towns seeking to improve or better maintain their fields using organic practices, rather than installing synthetic fields. The Island has a long tradition of providing grass playing fields for physical education, organized sports, pick-up games, and general public enjoyment. The Island community aims to preserve its natural landscapes, protect ponds, fragile habitats and single source aquifer, as well as protect young athletes from toxic exposures.

In 2017, The Field Fund, Inc. received a grant from TURI to purchase a slicing aerator, which is one of the most effective tools for organic grass maintenance. It loosens soil, encouraging healthy root and bio systems. This is part of a larger effort to eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and develop an organic management plan for playing fields on Martha’s Vineyard.

In 2018, The Field Fund received a grant to share their success with other communities who may be evaluating whether to invest in natural grass or artificial turf fields. The team created a video, built a website and developed brochures and fact sheets that show that when thoughtfully maintained, natural grass is a durable, safe, economical playing surface that is beneficial to children and the environment.

The Field Fund's media outreach has raised the profile for natural grass playing fields. The organization has become a resource for other schools and communities looking for ways to improve their fields. 

The Field Fund's  website, https://www.fieldfundinc.org, showcases practices that are sustainable and regenerative. The site has helped to forge alliances with other organizations, including the new Island Climate Action Network, which is now the leading climate mitigation group on the Island. Working in concert with more than 30 organizations and companies on the island, more people are engaged in conversations about how grass can help cool our rapidly warming climate.