The cities of Lakewood and Golden will transition to organic land management within six different parks in an effort to protect community health and the environment.

The parks will replace synthetic weed killers and other pesticides with organic practices like soil aeration, maintaining a certain mowing height, controlling moisture in the soil, and feeding the healthy organisms in the soil, according to Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides Jay Feldman.

“Feed the soil, not the plant,” said Feldman. “If you build soil health, you can cycle nutrients that are made available to the plant.”

Nurturing healthy bacteria and fungi in the soil makes plants more resilient and able to withstand harsh conditions, according to a news release from Beyond Pesticides.

Longmont and Beyond Pesticides implemented this method with two parks several years ago, and after experiencing success, held a session on organic land management.

At the session, representatives from Lakewood and Golden learned about the process and decided to apply it to their own parks.

The Link Recreation Center Baseball Field, The Mountair Dog Park, and Belmar Traditional Park will be the first parks in Lakewood to switch to organic management.

Golden will also implement this method at DeLong Park, New Loveland Mine Park, and Southridge Park.

“In launching the project in Golden and Lakewood, we are working with the community to embrace an environmental public health ethic that is intended to ensure a sustainable future,” said Feldman.

The projects in Lakewood and Golden are sponsored and funded by Natural Grocers, a Colorado-based organic retailer that sells groceries, dietary supplements, and body care products.

“The biggest benefit, of course, will be for families with children and pets who will have safer green spaces to play on,” said Vice President Advocacy & Governmental Affairs at Natural Grocers Alan Lewis in a news release.

Pesticides have direct adverse effects on humans, animals, water, air, and soil, according to a study by the Center for Biological Diversity.