Before getting into the thick of things come summertime, now is great time to reflect on if you are truly doing everything you can to help the bays and the other beautiful natural resources of Delmarva that everyone likes to enjoy in the summer and beyond.
Just as now is a great time to start spring cleaning your house, car and/or life, it’s also a great time to really get serious about going green!
Here are some ways you can do that at home, courtesy of the Center for the Inland Bays, in their “Dozen Ways You Can Help the Bays”:
(1) Remember that whatever you put on the ground can end up in the bays; that includes oil, pesticides and fertilizer. Use these things carefully and dispose of them properly.
(2) Scoop up your pet’s poop. When it rains, pet waste can get washed into storm drains that flow into our bays.
(3) Plant a rain garden and install rain barrels around your home to conserve water and keep stormwater runoff from entering the streets and storm drains.
(4) Reduce the need for fertilizer and pesticides by choosing native plants adapted to our soils and climatic conditions. If you must use a pesticide, try the least toxic ones available first, such as insecticidal soaps.
(5) Fertilize sparingly. Test your soil, apply the right amount and don’t apply before a heavy rainfall. These chemicals can ultimately end up in the water, so the less you use, the better!
(6) Control erosion on your property with plantings to keep soil out of streets and storm drains that empty into our streams and bays. These sediments can destroy bay-bottom habitat and put excess nutrients into the bays.
(7) If you live on the water – a stream, pond or bay – plant or maintain a buffer of trees and shrubs at the edge of the water, for at least 25 feet and more if there is any slope, to slow down and filter the stormwater runoff before it reaches the water.
(8) If you water, position your sprinklers on your lawn toward the grass and away from the gutter and paved areas. This will limit surface runoff and save water. Keep leaves and other organic material off paved surfaces, where they can be washed into storm drains and carry nutrients into the bays.
(9) Learn about the native plants and animals that live in our watershed and help to protect them. Eradicate invasive plant species on your property and replace them with native plants.
(10) Use a car wash that recycles water. Or wash your car on a lawn or stones, not in the street.
(11) Become a member of the Center for the Inland Bays.
(12) Become a volunteer for the bays.
For more information, visit www.inlandbays.org.
