Tasmanian woman wins World’s Ugliest Lawn in bizarre Swedish competition for water conservation

The accolade for the World’s Ugliest Lawn has been awarded to a Tasmanian resident in a bizarre Swedish competition that was backed by a famous Hollywood actor. Dirt-ridden, pockmarked and dry, Kathleen Murray’s garden took out the top prize, winning her a second hand brown T-shirt donated by the 2023 winner which reads: “Proud owner of The World’s Ugliest Lawn”. The competition, which began as a regional challenge in Sweden’s Gotland island, aims to highlight the importance of water conservation, and stands against wasting water on keeping lawns lush and green. The area is regularly hit by drought and water supply issues as its geography makes it difficult for the country to store groundwater. Speaking to the ABC, Ms Murray said her entry was helped by three wild bandicoots who’ve taken over her property, decimating the greenery. “I call them my wildlife of mass destruction, my WMDs,” she said. “I used to think they’d invaded my lawn but then I realised they’d actually liberated me from ever having to mow it ever again.” The international challenge was also launched with the help of actor and environmental activist Shailene Woodley. Woodley starred in the 2014 film The Fault in Out Stars, and HBO TV series Big Little Lies. ”This challenge is a great way to influence people to use less water,” she said. Competition organisers says too much water is wasted on watering lawns for “aesthetic” purposes, quoting UNESCO figures which state water scarcity could affect between 1.7bn to 2.4bn people across the glove by 2050. They claimed the inaugural 2023 competition reduced water consumption in the island by 5 per cent compared to the previous summer. “As the world gets warmer, water scarcity is a growing problem,” they said in a press release. “By not watering lawns for aesthetic reasons, we can protect the availability of groundwater.”