An informed electorate can flex its political muscle on behalf of the environment. One of the most important individual actions that you can take is to vote for thoughtful and responsible land use and conservation policies in your community and state. No space to plant another tree on your property? Check our calendar for tree planting events near you. And by shading your home in summer, they even reduce energy costs. They soak up fertilizer and other chemicals before they seep into waterways. Besides providing oxygen to the atmosphere, trees hold soil in place with their roots, preventing erosion that runs into the Bay. Several states also offer Watershed Stewards Academy or Master Watershed Stewards programs. CBF offers programs in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Programs such as CBF's Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards (VoiCeS) and Clean Water Captains teach citizens how to engage their communities in identifing and solving environmental problems. Participate in a local training or certification program.Time to replace that crumbling driveway? Consider using permeable pavers that allow runoff to soak into the ground and be filtered naturally rather than runoff into the nearest storm drain. Living shorelines prevent erosion, allow wildlife access, and beautify your waterfront. If you live on the water, build a living shoreline.Learn how to build and install your own rain barrel. They can be bought from garden supply centers or easily built. Placed at the base of a downspout, a typical rainbarrel can hold 55-75 gallons of stormwater runoff from a rooftop, reducing flooding and erosion. If you have a really wet area or one with heavy clay soil that drains slowly, you might want to consider a backyard wetland. Planted with native species that can handle wet soil, these gardens help reduce flooding and erosion and filter runoff. Rain gardens are special gardens placed in low-lying areas that typically receive a lot of runoff during storms. Use our step-by-step guide to fix the bare spots in your school or home yard. The outcome of having any type of bare spot is the same: stormwater hits the ground and is not able to soak in to the soil. Bare spots are places where vegetation (such as plants, shrubs, grasses, flowers) no longer exists in the soil. Find out more about gardening with native plants. Consider involving and educating your community by using Bay-friendly landscaping on community property near your home. In addition, native grasses and other plants don’t require the amount of watering or fertilizing necessary for non-natives. Bay-friendly landscaping reduces stormwater runoff. Waste from failing systems can leak into the groundwater and eventually end up in local waterways and the Bay. Septic systems should be inspected yearly to ensure proper functioning.
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