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.

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Plant a Butterfly Garden

Planting a butterfly garden is a great way to attract and support wildlife while adding green spaces to a yard.

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In Your Backyard

Use Natural Herbicides

Instead of chemical weed killers, try dousing weeds with boiling water, table salt or vinegar, or pulling them out and digging up the roots.

In Your Backyard

Prevent Erosion When Gardening

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.

In Your Backyard

Plant groundcover

Planting groundcover or spreading mulch on sparsely vegetated areas of your lawn discourages erosion and can stop the flow of polluted runoff from your lawn into local waterways.

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Reuse Egg Shells

Don't throw egg shells in the trash—use them in garden as fertilizer, pest control or mulch.

In Your Backyard

Clean Pesticide Spills Properly

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.

In Your Backyard

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.

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Water Your Lawn in the Morning

Water your lawn and garden in the early morning or early evening to reduce evaporation and save water.

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Use Drainage Tiles

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.

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Let Leaves be Under Trees

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.

In Your Backyard

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.

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In Your Backyard