• Join/organize a community stream clean up day. By ridding stream banks of litter, our local streams will not only look better, but they will be healthier too.
• Start a recycling project in your neighborhood.
• Join local stream reforestation efforts. Forested streams, or also known as “riparian buffers,” do many things to help water quality. They help regulate the streams temperature, help decrease erosion and flooding, and they also filter out many pollutants that water runoff can carry with it.
• Join or organize a community tree planting. Reforesting vacant and community lots will help improve local water quality by filtering out pollutants before they reach the stream.
• Consider starting a backyard conservation project in your community. Any vacant lot or unused space is a candidate for improvement with native plants, rain gardens, or other natural habitat.
• Encourage public officials to practice backyard conservation in parks and other public property.
• Encourage schools and other local organizations to become involved in caring for and helping the local environment.
• If you live in an apartment or condo, then encourage your building owner to use backyard conservation practices on the grounds around the building.
• Encourage the use of pervious surfaces. Pervious surfaces allow rain water to absorb back into the ground. Driveways and walkways are good examples of things that can be constructed with pervious materials.

In My Backyard

In My Home