Each year, over one million gallons of trash and three million gallons of oil enter the Bay, along with pet waste containing parasites and bacteria, mercury from improperly disposed household items like thermometers and light bulbs, and pesticides and fertilizers from lawn and garden care, all of which can harm and contaminate marine life and make the water dangerous for recreational use. All of these pollutants start with and can be curbed by residents like you! But it’s tough to know where to get started and that is why we are excited to introduce the Flows To Bay Challenge.
This year we are challenging YOU to make small changes in your lifestyle that will have a big impact on your pollution footprint. Your actions have a direct impact on the pollution that flows directly to our Bay and oceans, which means your impact can be positive, if you choose!
With the Flows to Bay Challenge we will provide you with all of the steps and tools you need to get started! We will start by focusing on a theme for each season:
- Fall: Rainwater as a Resource
- Winter: Inside the Home
- Spring: In the Garden and Community
At the start of each season we will send out our newsletter (sign up here) which will provide you with articles on our season’s theme and a checklist of our season’s challenges. We will also provide you with a calendar of workshops and events, so you can learn how to implement these changes in and around your home and connect with neighbors who also want to help save the Bay and ocean. Each season we will have local partners that are joining the Challenge, helping to run our workshops and provide rebates to help ease or eliminate the cost for the tools and supplies you’ll need. And of course we are going to be tracking our progress and your involvement on our website and social media with contests, prizes, and more!
Go to the Flows To Bay Challenge to access:
- Our Challenge Checklist
- Events calendar
- Rebates
- Video tutorials
- Environmental footprint calculator
- Learn more about our partners
Our first season will help you learn how to use rainwater as a resource, by capturing it and repurposing it, instead of letting it collect pollutants as it makes its way to storm drains and waterways. We will teach you how to install rain barrels and rain gardens to conserve tap water and utilize rainwater. Join the Flows To Bay Challenge and help us reduce pollution and conserve our natural resources!
