Making your community greener

As concerned citizens, it can be easy to focus on all the ways human beings are harming the environment. Here at Growing Greener Communities, we like to focus on the ways we can all help create a better world for future generations. Follow these three steps to imagine how you can make a difference right at home!

Observe: Take a walk around the outside of your property and assess.

Follow the Water: Where do your downspouts drain to? During storms, does rainwater run off your property? Is there a storm drain on your street, and if so, where does it lead?

Study your Spaces: What natural areas do you have and what are they planted with? What methods do you apply in caring for them? Are there any spaces that you aren’t currently using?

Identify Issues / Areas of Improvement: Are there any places where water is sitting around? Is rainwater eroding your soil? Are downspouts draining too close to your foundation? Are certain plants struggling to survive?

Imagine: Visualize your ideal outdoor spaces!

Spaces: How much space do you have to work with? How do you want your outdoor spaces to look and feel? If you have a lawn, do you enjoy it, or would you rather have something more natural?

Ambience: What kinds of wildlife would you like to support? What colors and textures would you like to be surrounded with? Do you want to create shade?

Hardscapes: If your driveway or sidewalk is old or decaying, could you replace it with a surface that allows stormwater to infiltrate? How would you like that to look?

Stormwater: Are there areas you could redirect stormwater to a natural surface to infiltrate? What are some different ways you could use collected rainwater?

Waterfronts: Could you create a space near your waterfront that’s cohabitable for humans and wildlife? What kinds of trees or plants could you imagine down near the waterside?

Implement: Consider these solutions to beautify your property and help the environment!

For smaller spaces, consider:

Re-using rainwater: Save money by harvesting free water for use around your yard with a rain barrel!

Eco-friendly planter box: Create a beautiful container garden that uses water from your downspouts and reduce runoff with downspout planters.

Container gardens with native plants: Create beautiful plantings in any location that beautify your property and support local pollinators.

For larger spaces, consider:

Rain gardens: Create a garden that collects rainwater from your roof or driveway while cultivating beautiful flowers and cultivating wildlife habitat.

Nature-friendly landscaping: Create beautiful landscaped areas that require less irrigation, maintenance, and fertilizer while also supporting local wildlife.

Natural Pathways and Surfaces: Create elegant pathways that allow stormwater to infiltrate into the ground while protecting our waterways.

Waterfront Plantings: Create a natural space adjacent to your waterfront which protects your property from erosion, creates habitat for aquatic wildlife, and promotes clean water.