Bring Manasota style into your home
and yard.
Creating an eco-friendly, Manasota-style “Homefront” encompasses
what you do at your home, both indoors and out. It’s essential
for every homeowner to realize the importance of creating an environmentally
friendly homestead. Bring a little Manasota-style into your home.
It will help protect the watershed, and may even inspire your neighbors.
Inside your home
- Bring
the outside in by incorporating potted native plants into your
décor. Indoor plants help filter the air and improve
air quality. Be sure to select plants that can thrive in pots,
won’t get
too big for your space and that meet your indoor light and
care requirements.
- Utilize
the latest energy and water-saving technologies. You can make
a positive contribution to the conservation of our
natural resources by installing low-flow showerheads and toilets, and energy-efficient
light bulbs. Or aim even higher, and install solar panels.
For
more
information on upgrading your home and tax credits you
can receive for efficiency upgrades, visit The Florida House Learning Center
http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/FHLC/flahouse.html or
the US Department of Energy http://www.energy.gov.
- Use
remodeling and/or decorating materials from recycled, renewable
or reusable sources. This adds charm to your interior
space while reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Every little
bit counts! Consult the following sites as resources:
http://www.sarasotasalvage.com
http://www.freecycle.org
http://www.sarasota-antiques.com
On the aesthetic front
Florida has inspired many artists to incorporate natural or
historical Florida scenery into their photography, paintings
and sculptures.
Sarasota and Manatee counties are thriving art communities, so
stop by a local gallery or artist colony, and find a piece
that reminds
you of the serenity of Sarasota Bay.
http://www.sarasotadowntown.com/attractions.html
http://www.floridavisiting.com/towns/Bradenton.html
http://www.4sarasota.com/Sarasota/Attractions/gallery.html
http://art-collecting.com/galleries_fl.htm
http://www.artistsguildofmanatee.org/galleries.html
http://www.sarasotafl.org
http://floridaislandbeaches.org
http://www.see-sarasota.com
Outdoors
Reduce your water use by installing a rain barrel. Rain barrels
collect the water from roofs via gutters and stores it in one
or more large
barrels. The stored water can then be used for irrigation when
things dry out. Building a rain barrel is a family-friendly
project that
gets use year round. You can make them blend in or stand out
depending on your design personality. For instructions click
on a link below
http://www.cwp.org/Community_Watersheds/brochure.pdf http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/Hort/Pubs/Rainbarrel.htm http://www.dnr.state.md.us/ed/rainbarrel.html http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/rainbarrel/make-a-rain-barrel.html
Or if you have other things to do you can buy one. Just Google “rain
barrel” for a list of on-line retailers.
Add a water feature to your yard. It’s a great way
to attract wildlife, while incorporating the tranquil sounds
of running water
into your environment. Examples are ponds, fountains and
solar bird baths. The resonance of rushing water also serves
as a mosquito-deterrent.
Plant a rain garden. Rain gardens are designed to reduce
stormwater that runs off individual properties into Sarasota
Bay. Rain
gardens work best when placed at the bottom of downspouts
or along a
curb—anywhere
water naturally runs off of paved surfaces when it rains. Hate standing
water in your yard after a heavy rain? Rain gardens can help reduce
the puddle effect by soaking up excess water. Fact: rain gardens
absorb 30% more water than the same size area of lawn. They also
can reduce your monthly water bill if you plant your water needy
plants in your rain garden. Rain gardens also attract wildlife to
your yard. See aren’t rain gardens great? Another family-friendly
project that will bring enjoyment year round. Rain gardens
can be any size or shape. Just be sure to locate them away
from homes
to
prevent water from seeping under the house. For ideas and
tips on how to plan and install a rain garden visit the Garden
section
of
this website.
Plant natives in your yard. Florida native plants make excellent
additions to your yard. The plants not only are beautiful,
but also attract wildlife and need less water to survive.
Native plants do
not need fertilizer since they are adapted to Florida’s
nutrient poor soils. Incorporating flowering plants like
firebush or coral
honeysuckle will attract hummingbirds and butterflies too!
For information on native plants look in the Garden section
of this
website.
Remove invasive plant species from your yard. Invasive plants
cause millions of dollars in agricultural and ecological
damage to Florida’s
economy every year. Be a part of the solution—remove
invasives from your yard and dispose of them properly. This
simple feat will
help restore Sarasota Bay. For a more information on invasive
plants look in the Garden section of this website or contact
your counties
Extension Service.
Use outdoor furnishings made of reclaimed/recycled
materials. This is another great way to bring the Bay to your backyard.
Reclaimed/recycled
hardwoods, such as redwood, age gracefully and make durable
and stylish furniture, decks, pergolas and other structures.
http://www.oldgrowthfree.com/
Place toad houses around your garden. A toad abode provides
a shady, moist and protected spot for our amphibian friends.
The
structure
can be as simple as a broken clay pot turned upside down, or
designed and constructed by an artist. Toads and frogs are
a environmentally
friendly way to control insect pests in your yard.
Other ways to help the Bay
At the car wash…wash your car on your lawn or take it to
a professional car wash. Sounds crazy right? But think about
it! When
you wash your car on your driveway or in the street, all
the dirt, grease, grim and not to mention soap that is washed
off your car
heads straight out into Sarasota Bay via the stormdrains.
Professional car washes are required by law to capture all the
wastewater they
use and treat it, so the dirty water does not end up in our
Bay. If only you know how to wash your car right, bathe that
beauty
on the lawn. Your grass blades will soak up most of the water
and the
grime before it gets out into the street.
Hazardous to Your Health. Disposing hazardous household waste
properly is important not only for Bay health but human healthy
as well.
A single gallon of fuel can contaminate over a million gallons
of water.
So if you change you car’s oil, use a drop cloth, absorb
any spills with kitty litter and dispose of the used oil
properly. Just
take it to a body shop or contact your county government
for locations. Remember, this goes for your boat too!
Pick up the poop! If you have a dog or an outdoor cat, pick
up its poo! Pet waste that is left on the beach, in yards
or parks,
ultimately
ends up in the Bay. You may think it’s gross, but so
do the fish and other marine life that have to swim in it.
And think about
when you go to the beach!
If you smoke, DON’T throw the butts on the ground! Cigarette
butts are the most littered item in America—176 pounds
per year. They take more than 7 years to biodegrade. They
may look
small but they cause big problems. Birds often die from eating
them, and
if the butts make it into storm drains, they are carried
directly into our Bay. Also, many fires are started each
year in Florida
because of people throwing cigarette butts out the window.
Throw your butts
into a trash receptacle. If you want a fancy ashtray for
your car or pocket, contact Keep Manatee Beautiful (941-795-8272,
http://www.manateebeautiful.com),
Keep Sarasota County Beautiful (941-861-5000, http://www.scgov.net)
or Keep American Beautiful (http://www.kab.org).
Minimize the fertilizer! In fact don’t use any fertilizer if
you can help it! What you may think is good for your lawn is most
certainly NOT good for the Bay. Avoid excessive quantities, and don’t
apply any fertilizer before a rainfall. Stormwater runoff
carries fertilizers into our Bay waters, harming plants,
animals and water
quality. No more pretty clear bay water if you use fertilizer.
Drive less. I know I know its so hard to not drive in our
society. But not only do cars contribute to atmospheric deposition
of
pollution into bay waters but it REALLY contributes to Global
Warming and
breathing disorders like asthma. So exercise more by walking,
skate boarding
or riding your bike. You’ll have a great bod and healthier
heart to show for it. Or socialize more by taking the bus
or carpooling. When you do take your car out try to get all
your errands done
on one trip.
Reduce Reuse Recycle Restore. This isn’t just for kids
anymore! This is a mantra that should be incorporated into
your everyday
life. There are 4 biologically productive acres per person
on the planet
right now. Americans use an average of 25 acres per person!
Ouch! This type of consumption is NOT sustainable and its
getting us
into hot water, literally!
Reduce - Think about it, do you really need that extra paper
towel in the bathroom? Do you really need to leave the water
running when
you brush your teeth? Do you really need to make that extra
trip to the store or can you go on your way home from work?
Do you
need to use plastic grocery bags or can you bring canvas ones
with you?
It may sound small but that is why its so easy. Plus when everyone
does it, it makes a big difference.
Reuse – reuse plastic grocery bags to pick up after your pets!
That plywood from hurricane season can be reused next year or made
into outdoor furniture. If you reuse things you’ll
reduce how much you use. Funny how they go together.
Recycle – this has been made so easy with curbside recycling!
There is no reason why you shouldn’t recycle at home
AND work. Encourage your local government to expand the materials
that
can
be recycled in your area.
Restore – create a backyard habitat using native plants
to replace habitat destroyed by development.
Compost. Everything from grass clippings to old salad can
be thrown into a compost bin in the corner of your yard.
Mother
Nature’s
maids (fungus, insects and bacteria) will come in a break down all
that plant matter creating nutritious soil for your plants. By adding
compost to your soil you eliminate your need for fertilizer and reduce
the amount of food products that end up in landfills. Just don’t
add meat or dairy products and it won’t stink! You
can get fashionable counter-top compost bins to stash your
scraps between
trips to the compost bin in the yard. For more information
on composting visit the Garden section of this website.
Be an Clean Boater. We are lucky to live in a place where there
is so much water in our backyard. But with this privilege comes
some
responsibility. Keep your boat well maintained and do not let
toxic substances such as oil, paint or ANY trash ever get into
the water.
This goes for gray water too. You know the water used in showers,
sinks and washing machines. Talk to your local marina operator,
boat repair company or county government for tips on how to
keep your
boat environmentally friendly. Other information sources include
http://www.cleanboater.com/
http://www.cleanboating.org/bibliography/index.html
http://www.floridaboatersguide.com/
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/law/Grants/CMP/CBP.htm
http://www.lee-county.com/naturalresources/boater%20ed.html
Vessel sewage is more concentrated that domestic sewage. But
vessel sewage often have chemical additives or disinfectants
which compound
the problem when discharged into local waters. Discharging
vessel sewage is not just bad for the environment but can
be hazardous
to human health as well causing diseases such as gastroenteritis,
hepatitis,
typhoid, cholera and dysentery. It’s also illegal. Changes
your perspective on a refreshing dip doesn’t it? But you can
be a part of the solution by patronizing marinas that offer proper
pump-out facilities and using them, maintain your boat’s
bathroom, wash your hands and use bathroom facilities on
the shore as much
as you can. See the links above for more information.
Stop the Invaders! As a boater one of the best things you can
do is help stop the spread of invasive marine plants and animals.
It
takes a little extra effort on your part but you will be rewarded
with beautiful and passable canals and channels. Avoid chopping
vegetation with outboard propellers. Check bilges, live wells
and trailers at
ramps to minimize spread to unaffected waterways. Each of these
should be empty or the water pumped out and treated for larvae/spore
removal
by carefully rinsing and proper disposal into a sealed container.
Remove all plant fragments from trailers, props, bait wells,
fishing tackle, dive gear, etc. and dispose in an upland facility
or receptacle.
Flush raw water cooling systems and clean sea strainers before
launching boats trailered or motored from other states or nations.
For more
information contact your counties Extension Service or visit
http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu/
http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/
http://www.cleanboater.com/
http://www.cleanboating.org/bibliography/index.html
http://www.floridaboatersguide.com/
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/law/Grants/CMP/CBP.htm
http://www.lee-county.com/naturalresources/boater%20ed.html
http://www.fleppc.org
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