Help Protect the Bay
Our everyday actions—from fertilizing our lawns to driving our cars—have a major impact on the Bay. But by making simple changes in our lives, each one of us can take part in restoring the Bay and its rivers for future generations.
Plant a Butterfly Garden
Planting a butterfly garden is a great way to attract and support wildlife while adding green spaces to a yard.
Learn more
Reduce Herbicide Use
Instead of chemical weed killers, try dousing weeds with boiling water, table salt or vinegar, or pulling them out and digging up the roots.
Prevent Erosion
Trying to build a garden on a sloped yard? To keep your topsoil from running into local waterways, you can build raised beds or create contours parallel to the slope of your yard.
Reduce Erosion
Planting groundcover on sparsely vegetated areas of your lawn discourages erosion and sediment runoff.
Reduce Food Waste
Don't throw egg shells in the trash—use them in garden as fertilizer, pest control or mulch.
Begin Birding in the Chesapeake
The Chesapeake Bay watershed has countless places to go birding
Learn more
Avoid Pesticide Pollution
If a pesticide spills or leaks, don't use a hose to clean up. Soak up the liquid with an absorbent material like sawdust or kitty litter, then sweep the material into a plastic bag and clean the area with a mixture of water and bleach.
How to Construct a Compost Pile
Composting is a cost-effective way to reduce your carbon footprint and put organic waste to work. Your homemade compost can then be used to feed household and garden plants.
Learn more
Conserve Water
If you water your lawn, do so in the early morning, when the water will not evaporate in the heat of the day. Make sure the water gets completely on the lawn, not on sidewalks or driveways.
Reduce Runoff
Protect the soil below your gutter downspout by using drainage tiles or splash blocks to redirect and slow stormwater, or by letting downspouts flow into rain barrels, rain gardens or a permeable layer of rocks.
Conserve Water
Let trees create their own mulch! Allow leaves and other plant matter to collect under your trees to maintain moisture, control temperature and prevent erosion.
How to Build a Rain Barrel
Rain barrels collect and store rainwater that runs out of a downspout or off of a roof, keeping runoff out of our rivers and streams. While unsafe for drinking, this water can be used to water plants or wash cars.
Learn more