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.
Plant a Butterfly Garden
Planting a butterfly garden is a great way to attract and support wildlife while adding green spaces to a yard.
Learn more
Conserve Water
If you water your lawn, do so in the early morning, when the water will not evaporate in the heat of the day. Make sure the water gets completely on the lawn, not on sidewalks or driveways.
Walk, Bike or Carpool to School
Cut emissions entirely by arranging a bike train or group walk to school or reduce emissions by creating a carpool in your neighborhood.
Use Reusable Containers For Lunch
Use a lunch box instead of plastic or paper bags for lunch. Buy reusable, sealed containers for drinks, sandwiches, snacks and other lunch items instead of re-sealable plastic bags.
Take a Field Trip
Get out of the classroom and into the Chesapeake region with a fun and engaging field trips to farms, museums, environmental centers and more.
Reduce Herbicide Use
Instead of chemical weed killers, try dousing weeds with boiling water, table salt or vinegar, or pulling them out and digging up the roots.
Organize a Clothing Swap
Consider a clothing swap with classmates or donate clothes that don’t fit anymore. For schools with uniforms, set up a day to exchange skirts, pants and shirts that have been outgrown for larger sizes.
Reuse School Supplies
Before buying new school supplies, take a look at what you already have and see if you can reuse notebooks, folders and other supplies that are still in good condition from previous years. If you do have to buy new, look for items made out of recycled materials like notebooks and pencils made from 100% post-consumer content.
Reduce Food Waste
Don't throw egg shells in the trash—use them in garden as fertilizer, pest control or mulch.
Foster Environmental Literacy
Teach students about issues such as climate change, forests and blue crabs to engage them with what’s happening in the environment where they live. Bay Backpack is a site designed to help teachers create environmental lessons for students and contains hundreds of resources on a variety of topics.
Encourage Recycling
Check out your school’s recycling programs. Are recycling bins available and are people encouraged to use them? Make sure you know what can and can’t be recycled, and spread the word.
Use recycled materials
When buying school supplies, look for items made out of recycled materials. For example, buy notebooks and pencils made from 100% post-consumer content.
