And the winner of the world’s ugliest lawn contest is…
The winner took home a second-hand brown T-shirt donated by the winner of Gotland’s Ugliest Lawn 2023, which reads: “Proud owner of The World’s Ugliest Lawn”.
A woman from Australia’s Tasmania won the first-ever World’s Ugliest Lawn competition. Kathleen Murray’s bandicoot-ravaged yard received the first prize in the contest organised by the Municipality of Gotland in Sweden. She took home a second-hand brown T-shirt donated by the winner of Gotland’s Ugliest Lawn 2023, which reads: “Proud owner of The World’s Ugliest Lawn”.
According to news.com.au, the Municipality of Gotland launched the contest to conserve water during a near-disastrous drought in the town. This year, the contest was launched globally with the help of actor and environmental activist Shailene Woodley. During the launch, she said, “This challenge is a great way to influence people to use less water.”
What is unique about Murray’s lawn?
Murray’s lawn has yellow patches of grass, shrivelled plants and divots caused by bandicoots. “It’s pretty shock-and-awe. The bandicoots love digging – that’s how they find their favourite food. Now my back yard looks like a real-life Hungry Hungry Hippo game. I also have an echidna that helps, and some chooks,” Murray told The Guardian.
She added, “I used to think the bandicoots were wildlife of mass destruction invading my lawn, but now I see that they’ve actually liberated me from ever having to mow it again.”
Murray and her four teenage children live in an area without access to mains water. Therefore, the rainwater they collect in tanks is too valuable to use for their lawn. During summer, if they run out of water, they have to wait as long as two weeks for a tanker to deliver water, reports The Guardian.
The jury deliberated nearly two hours to reach their verdict on the ugliest lawn. “All of them were hideous and well worthy of winning, but the winning entry was really, really bad,” Mimmi Gibson, representing the municipality of Gotland, told The Guardian.
According to Gotland.com, the 2023 competition reduced water consumption on the island by 5 per cent compared to the previous summer.
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