What is Baywise?
In April 2007, Prince George’s Master Gardeners became a part of the Maryland’s Bay-Wise Program. The purpose of the program is to promote better water quality through smarter gardening. Master Gardener’s learned ways to help home and landowners to decrease the amount of toxics, nutrients, and sediments that enter Maryland waterways and ultimately reach the Chesapeake Bay. Although toxins and sediments contribute to the Chesapeake Bay’s health, Nitrogen and Phosphorus are the two primary pollutants! Agriculture sewage treatment plants, septic systems, urban/suburban runoff, and emissions from automobiles and power plants are all sources of Nitrogen and Phosphorus.
In a typical year, heavy spring rains wash these pollutants into tributaries and the Bay, where they contribute to algal blooms. Once the algal blooms die, the oxygen in the water is reduced enough to create dead zones in the Bay. This negatively impacts rockfish, crabs, oysters, and other creatures in the Chesapeake Bay. Listed below are some ways you can help to Save the Bay! You are a Baywise Homeowner if you: - Fertilize Wisely
- Water Efficiently and Mow Properly
- Control Stormwater Runoff
- Mulch Appropriately
- Recycle Your Yard Waste
- Manage Yard Pests with Integrated Pest Management
- Plant Wisely
- Encourage Wildlife
- Protect the Waterfront
Does Your Yard Measure Up?
Maryland’s Bay-Wise Program offers Home and Landowners three ways to get yards or landscapes certified: Landscapes with Lawns, Landscapes without Lawns, and Vegetable Gardens. To qualify your yard or landscape as Bay-Wise, complete the appropriate “Bay Wise Maryland Yardstick” and contact Prince George’s County Master Gardener President, Esther Mitchell, to schedule a certification visit! It’s easy! All you need are 36” or more to qualify! Bay Facts:
Did you know the Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers 64,000 square miles? It stretches from the headwaters of the Susquehanna River in Cooperstown, New York (home of the Baseball Hall of Fame) to Virginia Beach. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary (where fresh water and salt water come together) in North America. It was once the most productive estuary in the WORLD! Want More Information?
Websites: Brochures & Forms: If you are interested in BayWise and would like more information or your yard certified, please contact Franchella Kendall. |
