Bay Loving Landscapes

How can your yard help with river health?

A Bay Loving Landscape mimics the natural environment to benefit water quality. Even if you are not on the waterfront, every drop of water that doesn’t evaporate from your property is carried to our rivers and the Bay. Unfortunately, the stormwater running off from yards often carries harmful amounts of dirt and nutrients that has a very negative impact on aquatic life, like oysters, crabs, and fish.

The good news is that a little bit of change to individual homeowners’ yards can add up to big improvement for our water quality and the vitality of our eco-systems. We are learning that stitching together small wildlife habitats into conservation corridors may make the essential difference we need for all species, including our own, to thrive.

For instance, did you know that by planting native species, you can increase native bird populations by fifty percent? If you reduce your lawn by installing native plantings, you can create bird and pollinator habitat; improve soggy lawns and basements; and help create healthy waterways in the South, West, and Rhode Rivers.

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Helpful Resources for Homeowners

Conservation Plants for the Chesapeake (U.S. Fish and Wildlife)]

Native Plants of the Chesapeake (Native Plant Center)

Guidebook for planting in the Critical Area (Md Dept. of Natural Resources)

From Your Backyard to the Bay (Watershed Stewards Academy)

River Friendly Yards (Shore Rivers)

Planting Plans for Maryland Rain Gardens (Low Impact Development Center)

How Do Lawns Harm the Bay?

They shed water, increasing erosion
They increase the amount of fertilizer and pesticides entering the Bay
They are an “ecological wastelands” for wildlife
They increase carbon footprint

How Do Native Plants Help the Bay?

They do not require fertilizers or pesticides to be successful
They increase the amount of food and habitat for native wildlife to thrive
Pollinators like butterflies and bees depend on native plants to live
Native plants reduce air pollution by removing carbon from the air and requiring less mowing