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Swimming at the shore, picnicking in the park, exploring our region's beautiful natural areas. It's all good, until increased bacteria levels in our waterways shut down your summer fun.
Pet and wildlife waste, sewage discharge from boats, sanitary sewer overflows and backed-up septic systems are often to blame, and Virginia Department of Health officials will issue a beach closure notice when bacteria levels are high. In addition, cigarette butt litter and trash contribute to a sandscape that's a far cry from being "postcard perfect." As you make the most of summer, please be mindful
that what we do at home and at play can have an impact on the quality of our coastal resources. Check out these tips, and let's be careful out there!
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Good to Do-Do
Help reduce bacteria pollution in your local waterways by scooping the poop; not feeding geese and ducks; and preventing sanitary sewer overflows by keeping wipes out of the toilet and food and grease out of the drain.
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Pack Right
Small plastic food packaging items (bags, straws, wrappers and cups) can easily be carried away on a breezy beach day. Avoid these altogether by using reusable containers, and use cloth totes and insulated coolers for carrying your goodies to the beach.
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Carpool
A day at the beach is more fun with friends. Just be sure to carpool to get there, avoiding unnecessary emissions.
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Fill'er Up Before You Go
Opt for a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water and fill it up from the tap before leaving home.
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Get Involved
Sign up for an organized beach cleanup event, like Clean the Bay Day and the Great American Cleanup. Or, schedule your own at your favorite beach or park.
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Leave No Trace Behind
At the end of your day at the beach, make sure you take all of your belongings with you --- including your trash and recyclables to be disposed of properly. Always ensure no litter is left behind.
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The A, B, C's of Back to School
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Three-ring binders, composition books and index cards are in the sales spotlight at a store near you --- a reminder that school is not far behind! As you contemplate what kind of a year this will be for your student, we encourage you to make it a green-minded one, from the supplies you purchase to how you stage those PTA fundraisers. These suggestions w
ill save families time and money, while making the transition back to school easy on the environment.
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Reuse or Buy Recycled
We're all about reusing when it comes to pencil pouches, backpacks and lunch boxes. When purchasing new items, look for products made from recycled materials to close the recycling loop.
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Waste-free Lunch
Meal/snack containers, reusable flatware and beverage bottles are worth the investment. Buy these once and eliminate an endless trail of plastic while reducing the size of your grocery list.
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Choose Paperless
Many schools, PTAs and student clubs offer the option of paperless correspondence. Do it! Sign up for electronic only.
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Get Caught Going Green
If you are a teacher, have your students take the
askHRgreen.org Classroom Pledge
and get them psyched about turning off lights, using both sides of paper and picking up litter on the playground.
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Re-think the Carwash Fundraiser
There are other ways to raise money than hosting a car wash that sends dirty, greasy wash water into the storm drain system and on to our local waterways. Be the green leader in your community group and suggest alternatives. If a car wash is inevitable,
check our tips
for making it a greener event.
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Mosquito Prevention Begins in Your Yard
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It wouldn't be summer in Hampton Roads without afternoon thunderstorms, soaring humidity and mosquitoes. One of our favorite environmental columnists, Mary Reid Barrow, explains how you can keep the season's peskiest critters at bay by creating a natural green habitat that discourages their existence.
Read all about it,
courtesy of Mary and The Virginian-Pilot.
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Thank You Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and KVB!
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Earlier this summer, the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and Keep Virginia Beautiful awarded our askHRgreen.org committees a total of $13,100 in separate grants, both of which will go a long way toward supporting the work we love doing --- encouraging environmental stewardship throughout Hampton Roads.
The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund grant of $11,100 will allow us to expand the region-wide Bay Star Homes program for residents; bolster our Environmental Education Mini-Grant Program for educators; develop a new Green Learning Guide for elementary-aged students; provide pet waste stations to distribute through our Pet Waste Station Grant Program; and kick start a series of free, educational workshops for residents.
The Keep Virginia Beautiful award of $2,000 will fund a second region-wide Cigarette Litter Prevention Awareness Campaign, to help reverse the attitudes and behaviors smokers have when it comes to cigarette litter. This will be a follow up to a project we implemented in 2015 that successfully reduced cigarette litter by 74 percent when measuring before-and-after litter at seven project sites.
We are grateful for the opportunities these awards will provide to promote a cleaner, greener quality of life in our Hampton Roads communities.
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Mini-Grants for Many Projects
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While it's an honor to receive grants, it's just as rewarding to give them. This past fiscal year, askHRgreen.org provided $6,335 in funds through our
Environmental Education Mini-Grant Program
to support classroom projects throughout Hampton Roads.
More than 4,000 students at 13 schools participated in a variety of projects that included everything from sprucing up the school yard and organizing campus-wide recycling programs, to conducting field investigations along nearby waterways.
Among the recipients, Cradock Middle School students examined public policy decisions related to the environment by identifying outdoor areas in need of care through a community cleanup project. At Western Branch Middle School, participants refurbished and transformed wooden park benches into vibrant pieces of art that now enhance the school grounds.
Interested in starting a project of your own? We are now
accepting applications for this year's round of mini-grants, which award up to $500 for qualifying projects. All Hampton Roads school teachers (K-12), youth leaders or organizations working with youth are eligible to apply. Check for details and access the
application package
here.
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