Everyone can make a difference in their communities and in the environment. Here we provide four ways you can help keep Prince George’s County, Maryland healthy and beautiful.
1. Plant a tree
Trees provide many benefits to communities and the environment. They help improve water quality, save energy, lower city temperatures, reduce air pollution, enhance property values, provide wildlife habitat for birds and other species, facilitate social and educational opportunities, and beautify lawns and other open spaces. Tree roots, specifically, help rain soak into the soil and increase the total amount of rain that the soil can absorb.
When planting a tree and other types of plants, it is important to choose natives. Native plants are those that naturally occur in the region in which they evolved. They are adapted to local soil and climate conditions and require less watering and fertilizing. The Chesapeake Bay Native Plant Center is a wonderful resource to find native species that are suitable for your site conditions. When you’re ready to purchase, local plant nurseries can help you find what you’re looking for. A few plant nurseries in Prince George’s County that offer native plants include Behnke Nurseries, Chesapeake Natives, and Patuxent Nursery.
2. Participate in Earth Day Events and Activities
On Earth Day, Saturday, April 13th 2019, we encourage you to go green and show your appreciation for our environment! The Anacostia Watershed Earth Day Cleanup and the 31st Annual Potomac River Cleanup are two cleanup events that have several cleanup sites in Prince George’s County. Find one near you and get together with your neighbors to keep our neighborhoods and streams clean.
We encourage you to make every day Earth Day by taking small steps to reduce your environmental footprint. Take the What’s Your Bay Footprint? to find out how your lifestyle choices contributes to the health of local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay and ways you can reduce your impact.
3. Participate in Prince George’s County Rain Check Rebate Program
The Prince George’s County Rain Check Rebate Program offers incentives to homeowners, businesses, and others to install practices that reduce stormwater runoff and improve local streams and rivers. As an added benefit, homeowners that install these practices may receive a reduction on their Clean Water Act Fee. The seven eligible practices include rain barrels, cisterns, urban tree canopy, rain gardens, pavement removal, permeable pavement, and green roofs.
4. Participate in Prince George’s County Litter Reduction Mini Grant Program
The Prince George’s County Litter Reduction and Citizen Engagement Mini Grant Program provides communities with resources to keep their neighborhoods clean and beautiful. Community organizations may request up to $2,500 to support litter reduction projects. Example projects include litter cleanups that engage students and businesses, “Adopt-a-Stream” projects to remove litter from a local stream, and storm drain stenciling projects where art is used to educate residents about the importance of keeping litter out of the storm drains. If you are a resident and want to get your neighborhood involved, we encourage you to contact your homeowner’s association, civic association, or other community group and share this opportunity.
