Projects Nested in Projects

We’ve been greening up and growing out.

The front lawn is GONE. In its place:

• An extra-large woodland shade bed under the old cherry tree

• A small sunny corner garden (one of the only sunlit spots!)

• A connecting path made from scavenged pavers, now edged with silvery-green Plantain Pussytoes

The back yard? Totally wild. Neglected in favor of the front because we had to prioritize the things neighbors see. It forgives us; the pollinators are having a party.

I started growing veggies in raised beds—corn, potatoes, squash, beans. A volunteer pumpkin is now stretching over 20 feet!

The side yard…is a feral gremlin. We mulched it, we planted perennial plugs, we meant to tame it. But out of sight is very much out of mind, and we keep forgetting there’s still grass to mow back there.

Growth comes in many forms

I’m getting ready for my third semester homeschooling two teenagers. That’s…a whole other project. It’s going well (mostly), but like everything else around here, it runs on grit, flexibility, and the occasional panic spiral. Our curriculum is heavy on history, literature, environmental science, and “let’s take a walk and talk about systems thinking.”

Somewhere along the way, I also became president of the Muddy Branch Alliance, a local watershed nonprofit. I actually just wrote a mini bio for an official letter today, so I’m shamelessly pasting it here:

The Muddy Branch Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 as an all-volunteer group of concerned citizens working to protect the Muddy Branch watershed in Montgomery County, Maryland. Our mission is to safeguard local streams and natural spaces through hands-on restoration, education, and community engagement. Since 2018, we’ve led the Lands Green Waters Clean initiative—originally launched by the Izaak Walton League with support from the Chesapeake Bay Trust—which helps homeowners adopt conservation landscaping practices that support clean water and backyard wildlife. Our work has been recognized by the City of Gaithersburg (including an Environmental Award every year since 2012), the Maryland Recreation and Parks Association, and the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.

I’ve served on the board for the past year and just stepped into the presidency. I’m excited and—as per usual—full of big plans and limited executive function. But this time, I have a board I can rely on. I’m not feeling rudderless. Just… busy. And aware that I’ve got some big, muddy boots to fill.

One shift: I had to step down from chairing our neighborhood Green Team. That stung a bit—I felt like we hadn’t had a chance to do much yet. But I’m still involved, and with the Muddy Branch Alliance, I’m in a stronger position to actually move things forward.

Anyway, that’s the current state of things. Progress, chaos, and a pumpkin that’s trying to become a cryptid. Tell me I’m not the only one?

These tips can work for anyone, though they’re written with the Maryland/Virginia Northern Piedmont ecoregion in mind. You may need to do research on your specific ecoregion and native plants in place of some links I share.

Find your ecoregion here:

https://nativegardendesigns.wildones.org/whats-my-ecoregion/

Leave the Leaves

Leaves are considered nature’s litter, but did you know leaves are important fertilizer for your yard and critical winter habitat for pollinators? High in the nitrogen they gleaned from your yard this year, leaves are meant to decay back into the soil to return the nitrogen for next spring. This process reduces soil compaction, lessening the need for core aeration in low-impact areas.

Additionally, your leaves are full of future life—butterflies, moths, and other invertebrates rely on leaves to overwinter their eggs. Avoid shredding your leaves if possible, but shredding them for mulch is still a more climate-conscious option than bagging and sending them off.

If you absolutely must clear your lawn of leaves, consider raking them into your garden beds. Decaying leaves behave as organic mulch, suppressing weeds and retaining moisture. Their high nitrogen content makes them a naturally-slow-release fertilizer that is especially good for new plantings.

Wherever you put your leaves, you’re improving the soil quality and providing critical habitat.

Read more: https://xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves

Fall is Great for Planting Native

For many native plants (plants that evolved to be compatible with our ecoregion’s weather, soil, and wildlife), fall is the perfect time to get plugs in the ground. In many cases, they’ll establish deeper, healthier roots than they would in spring when they need to split energy between roots and shoots.

If you want to save money by starting from seeds, now is the time to direct-sow. Many native perennials require at least 60 days cool winter soil before they germinate in warmer spring soil. Without tapping into the natural cycle, these seeds would require months of refrigeration to stimulate germination.

More info:

An overview of manually germinating native seeds. https://www.prairiemoon.com/how-to-germinate-native-seeds.html

Great selection of $4 plant plugs native to our ecoregion. Sold by the tray. https://www.thepollennation.com/native-perennials/

What is a native plant? https://extension.umd.edu/resource/what-native-plant/

Integrated Pest Management for Weeds

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for weeds is an environmentally friendly approach to controlling unwanted plants in your yard or garden. Instead of relying solely on chemical herbicides, IPM progresses through planned actions from least to greatest potential environmental impact:

• Identify Your Weeds: A weed is generally considered an unwanted plant in an undesirable location. Identify your weeds early and monitor their behavior. Consider the benefits of plants like clover, which pull nitrogen from deeper in the soil and provide it for turfgrass. Weeds can also inform you about your soil health, like Yellow Nutsedge; it grows in poorly-draining soil where turf struggles to thrive.

• Block Weeds Through Soil and Plant Health: Improve soil quality through living mulch or organic amendments, mow at least 4” high, and choose the right plants to naturally suppress weeds.

• Remove Weeds Physically: Pull weeds by hand or use tools to remove them when possible. This is especially helpful before seed heads begin to show, as with Crabgrass and Japanese Stiltgrass in the fall.

• Selective Use of Chemicals: Use targeted herbicides sparingly and only when necessary, as a last resort.

If your lawn is over 50% weeds, consider an overhaul. This time of year (Sept-Oct) many of our most annoying weeds are dormant, having just produced seed heads. Get a head start on outgrowing next spring’s weeds by mowing as low as possible, raking the clippings into the soil, and reseeding with a cool-weather grass mix. Cover the seeds with natural burlap landscape fabric (available cheaply at Lowes) and water every morning for three weeks, or until the grass is at least 1” tall. The burlap will protect seeds from wildlife and erosion, and will help hold in moisture. It can be left to biodegrade over several months, or removed after the grass is established.

If you have autumn leaves, arranging a loose layer over the burlap after the grass germinates completely will help boost the growth. As they decay over winter, your grass will receive a natural feed of nitrogen.

See more:

How to manage weeds without chemicals: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/manage-weeds-without-chemicals-maryland/

Common lawn weeds and IPM steps to address them: https://www.wildflowerfarm.com/common-lawn-weeds.html

Ways to Reduce Your Lawn and Plant an Alternative

Lawns are usually desired for children’s play areas, pet runs, sports activities, and framing an entryway to a home or garden. In many cases, however, lawns go largely unused. Even though lawns have been a part of American culture for generations, we are now in an era in which dramatic declines in pollinators (loss of natural habitat) and climate change (more extreme weather events) make a compelling case to think differently about lawns and how to manage our land more sustainably.

Turfgrasses are challenging to grow in Maryland’s climate. Removing grass and reducing the size of your lawn may be desirable if you:

• Cannot grow turfgrass in certain locations because of a steep slope, unsuitable soil conditions, or too much shade;

• Have a lawn that is largely unused and would like to devote your time and resources to other purposes;

• Want to manage stormwater runoff on your property and contribute to improving water quality;

• Wish to add more biodiversity, beauty, and ecological value to your landscape. Even small changes in private yards can make a difference for birds, insects, and other wildlife.

source: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/lawn-alternatives/

Avoid and Replace Invasive Plantings

Remember that lawn removal doesn’t mean “no mowing”. You will still need to manage invasive or unwanted species; a lawn full of unmanaged invasive species can be as ecologically damaging as chemically-maintained turf.

“Invasive” is a legally-defined term for non-native organisms that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health, with damages costing the United States approximately $120 billion every year. Don’t confuse “invasive” with “aggressive”! Aggressive species may be annoying, but they do not cause the documented damage of invasive species. Remember that many species can be aggressive when grown in a monoculture, without the plants and wildlife that evolved alongside to keep them in check. The best defense against aggressive species is biodiversity.

Some common invasive plant species in Maryland include Japanese Barberry, Butterfly Bush, Tree of Heaven, English Ivy, and non-native Bamboo.

More info:

In-depth resource for understanding and removing invasive plants: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/removing-invasive-plants-and-planting-natives-maryland/

Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland: https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/terrestrial-plants/

Plant This, Not That: https://directnativeplants.com/plant-this-not-that/

Native Substitutes for Invasive Species: https://northamericanlandtrust.org/plant-this-not-that-native-plant-substitutes-for-invasive-species/

When we think about nature, we often imagine wild spaces untouched by human hands. It’s difficult to refute, at least for someone like me who was raised to “have dominion over the earth.” It helps to think of this concept in the same way as the “heavy traffic” problem—just as you aren’t “stuck in traffic” but are actually part of the traffic, we aren’t separate from nature; we are nature.

After all, humans evolved alongside everything else, with the same set of needs. Our actions, decisions, and lifestyles all contribute to the flow and balance of the natural world, just as each car on the road contributes to the traffic.

Humans have also been altering ecosystems throughout our history. This is not a bad thing, nor a good thing—just a thing we do very well! All living beings affect their environment to prioritize survival of their species; humans just have a much broader range of tolerance (hello, future Mars citizens!).

That being said, we’re still not the top survivors.

This behavior is the core of why and how ecosystems function. A functioning ecosystem is one where the components and processes work together, often in seemingly conflicting ways, to support life. Each species plays a role in the food web and nutrient cycling.

Balance is a Process, Not a Goal

The natural world is in a constant balancing process. We tend to oversimplify when we explain this, like saying “wolves are needed to control deer population.” These one-dimensional views make for a quick defense of wolves, but they gloss over the complexities of the wolf-deer relationship and the broader impacts of both species in their ecosystem.

In reality, every interaction within an ecosystem is part of a much larger web of influences, many of which are subtle and interconnected in ways we’re only beginning to understand. While it’s tempting to view ecosystems in simple terms, modern science has revealed a far more intricate reality—one that stretches beyond food webs and into the deepest realms of biology and even quantum biology1.

For those curious about how the smallest building blocks of life interact in this vast web of connections, I highly recommend reading The Sacred Depths of Nature by cell biologist Dr. Ursula Goodenough.

Whether you focus on quarks, cells, or mosquitos, my point is that we cannot possibly know the exact mechanisms of every bit of matter or energy around us. Each tiny piece contributes to the ultimate goal of survival of itself, its “parent” organism, etc.

These mysteries are overwhelming, and a lot of people sort of glaze over or outright ignore them. This is understandable, and another evolutionary survival tactic for energy conservation. Even if we don’t grasp every scientific detail, we can still make informed choices that support the ongoing balance of nature. After all, it’s this process of balancing that produces hurricanes and floods, or extreme heat and humidity—what we now understand as the effects of climate change.

The most effective step we can take is to promote biodiversity in our home habitats. We all make mistakes building our habitats, often without realizing them for years. Research shows the best way to mitigate these mistakes is through diversification—whether it’s the plants we cultivate, the animals we support, or the food we consume.

From the Ground to the Gut

On the extreme micro scale, I was surprised to learn our local ecosystems have measurable effects on health and may be contributing to a rise in chronic health disorders.

According to research compiled by Helene Wierzbicki, a fellow with the 2024 cohort of Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE)2, there are two main biodiversity systems that play a vital role in keeping us healthy: one in our local environment and the other within our own bodies. The microbes that live in our airways, gut, and skin help regulate our immune systems and maintain balance. Research suggests that long-term exposure to diverse microbes in our environments strengthens our immune responses and reduces allergic reactions. This concept is tied to the “hygiene hypothesis,” which argues that over-sanitization in modern, Western societies disrupts our exposure to beneficial microorganisms, weakening our immune system.

In a related concept, the “biodiversity hypothesis” proposes that a reduction in plant variety has a direct impact on immune health, contributing to conditions like autoimmune diseases, cancer, and depression, all of which are linked to higher levels of inflammation in areas with less biodiversity. Studies from Finland show that children exposed to biodiverse environments are better equipped to prevent autoimmune disorders and allergies3.

This research highlights the interconnectedness between the natural world and our internal microbiota. The microbes found in healthy ecosystems also influence the microbial communities on our skin and within our bodies. When this relationship is disrupted, it can lead to immune system dysfunction. Supporting native plants and preserving biodiversity in our environment, therefore, plays a crucial role in fostering a diverse microbial landscape that benefits human health.

With documented benefits to human health and survival, why do we not work harder to preserve biodiversity around our homes? As someone with related chronic health issues, please consider this a personal plea.

Tips for Understanding How Humans Fit in Nature

1. Shift your mindset to see yourself as part of the natural world: Many of us have grown up thinking of humans and human homes as separate from nature. But we are deeply connected to and dependent on the ecosystems around us. By seeing ourselves as integral components of nature, we can better understand our responsibilities and roles in maintaining ecological balance.

2. Recognize that our daily decisions impact the local ecosystem: Because we are part of our local ecosystem, everything we do, from the products we bring into our habitat or the plants we allow to grow, affects the natural systems around us. These choices shape the local environment, influencing soil health and animal life, as well as air and water quality. By being mindful, we contribute to a healthier, more balanced ecosystem.

2. Aim for resilience, not stability: True balance in nature is dynamic, not static. Trying to maintain stability in a constantly changing world can lead to more harm than good. Instead, focusing on resilience—our ability to adapt and recover—will help us better weather changes, both in our environment and our societies. Our strength is in our tolerance range. To ensure the survival of humanity, we have to take measures to keep our ecosystem parameters within that range.

3. Remember that nature abhors a vacuum: When any part of an ecosystem is removed or damaged, nature will find a way to fill the gap—often with unintended consequences. Whether it’s invasive species taking over vacant niches in your garden or extreme weather events from atmospheric changes4, disruptions don’t go unnoticed. It’s a reminder that any of our actions can set off a chain reaction in the natural world.

As we recognize our role within human-focused ecosystems, we can take proactive steps to enhance local resilience and biodiversity. Planting native species, conserving water, and creating wildlife-friendly spaces are just a few ways we can make our homes and communities part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

I’ve been posting a lot of rabbit and snake videos and images this week on my social media. The Eastern Cottontail rabbits in the back yard raised a herd of tiny hoppers who began venturing from their nest. At the start it should have been a herd. By the time they were big enough to explore, only two were left—statistically consistent for a litter of 4-5 buns. We’ve had foxes and raccoons at night, both of which prey on juvenile rabbits.

As soon as the two little ones were moving about, the daytime predators began to show up: hawks and snakes. The crows would probably eat a small rabbit if given the chance, but they also prey on the snakes and are mostly visiting for the mealworms I set out. They’re also able to clear the area of hawks; this time of year, our crows are all traveling in family packs to teach fledglings how to survive. And so enters the Eastern Black Rat Snake.

This is the rat snake’s breeding period. Everything is warm, they finished mating, and the females are needing more food and sun than they’d typically require. They head out of safe, wooded areas and into more open and sunny spots. Healthy, food-filled spots for mom mean healthy, food-filled places for babies to emerge after she’s left.

What Wildlife Wants

Notice that our pending conflict revolves around four specific needs: cover, food, water, and a safe place to raise young. At the core, this is all anyone needs for bare survival of their species.

For cover, we let the lawn grow long where we don’t need to use it. Rabbits use the tall grass to make nests and beds. Snakes use it to creep around, somewhat—they prefer to use the fences lining our backyard as a highway. The crows take advantage of the tight walls and porches of our townhome neighbors to stay cool in shade and control what sees them. Soon we’ll have shrubs and other plants growing in to provide more cover, especially for birds.

The songbirds get the bulk of our supplemental food, as we’re waiting on the shrubs to provide berries and caterpillars. Crows come for the mealworms and peanuts, and the boiled eggs, fruit, and meat I sometimes leave them. The rabbits munch all day long on the grasses and sometimes the plants—no asters or violets are safe. They pick up seed the birds leave, too. The snakes are here for any mice attracted by the seeds, and for other occasional prey like small rabbits. A baby rabbit can feed a rat snake for nearly two weeks!

We keep fresh water out in several places, refilling each daily. I’ve thought about a small pond, but we’re nowhere near being able to maintain it. Everything uses the water in this heat. Typically, many species live off the water gained from their prey.

Finally, safety to raise young. Has everything I described above sounded safe? The rabbits and snakes know that crows are here. The rabbits are very aware of the snakes and crows. The crows are actively bringing their young to our backyard to train them.

Side note for a funny story: two days ago, a crow taught its fledgling to eat the mealworms we’ve set out. The next day, the fledgling came alone but there were no mealworms. I brought a mealworm refill and some peanuts. The fledgling ate the mealworms, but moved the peanuts aside—it had not been taught that they were food!

When Safe Spaces Overlap

I expected to lose a rabbit to snakes. That didn’t surprise me at all when it happened, though I was still a little saddened. The fluffy things are so cute, and since they’re relatively good at communicating with humans, we bond with them even from a distance.

What did shock me? How the mama rabbit proceeded to beat that massive snake so badly, it scaled two plants and a wall to get away. I had read so much about how timid cottontail rabbits are, how often they die of fright, how they don’t protect their young, they never form family units… The problem with species summaries is that a lot of situational behavior gets buried. Cottontails do form family units while rearing young. They do stay nearby, and the absolutely will protect them if possible. The next day, she beat up another, younger snake who left hungry but didn’t come back. As a friend said, “your backyard’s a rough neighborhood.”

Anyway, this is a reality of life. Places where the rabbits feel safe making a nest become places the snakes feel safe laying eggs. Many species of songbirds prey on each other’s nests. Everyone loves to eat eggs.

We do our best to give everyone a fair chance at survival, using the same four resource needs listed above.

Cover

We vary the amount of cover across the lawn. More cover in the edges, less near our door. Things have a chance to run away from predators, even though predators have areas to hide and hunt. I’ve created spots where the shrubs and flowers flow into the middle of the yard, and spot that are completely clear behind them.

We layer everything vertically—a lesson learned from having decades of multi-cat houses. There may be more cover and perches higher up our fence, or hidden in the brush with clear spaces above.

Food

Everyone gets supplemented food at their favorite height. I’ve found it’s best with birdfeeders to give one type of food per feeder, and only fill what will be eaten in a day or two. Some prefer foraging in bushes, so they have a bush-height mesh feeder with their favorite seed. Ground foragers get food on the ground or in platforms. I adore Grey Catbirds, and use a twist tie to attach stemmed or vine fruit to poles.

The squirrels kept getting into anything with sunflower seeds, so they now have their own mesh feeder near the ground to work at. It’s super effective!

The ideal and our goal is to grow a fully native landscape that feeds local wildlife entirely.

Water

As mentioned before, we offer fresh water in multiple places and layer vertically again. Some on the ground, some suspended or mounted.

Safety

Here is the greatest responsibility.

We have to make space for wildlife to raise young, wherever that may be. Birdhouses have to be kept safe from climbing snakes and parasite birds. Grass has to be checked whenever we’re walking, to make sure we’re not opening or crushing a nest of some sort.

Where animals congregate has to be cleaned regularly and kept free of disease. I’ve learned not to get wooden feeders, because metal or recycled plastic can be quickly sterilized. I also have to be able to remove them all, as I did earlier last month when I found a dead Brown-headed Cowbird in the water. With my monitoring camera showing it sitting by the water for several hours before falling in dead, we bleached everything and went into quarantine for several days.

We have to keep disturbances to a minimum. No running around and shouting suddenly, or throwing things. We keep things predictable and in the same area at all times. This is how we’re able to present ourselves as not a threat, and why the animals let us get within a foot or two before fleeing. It’s our yard, it smells like us, and we don’t act threatening.

On that note, we have to keep them wild. As tempting as it is to go out with treats and pet baby bunnies, we can’t. Actually, the rabbits are probably the biggest threat to us humans. They’re the ones with ticks, and with deadly diseases that can cross species. Plus, we have an indoor rabbit—we absolutely cannot risk spreading anything to him. But for their survival, they must keep those instincts that make them run from humans and protect themselves without intervention.

We still watch their health. Too many ticks, a squirrel with half a tail, birds with missing legs—there are many times we need the help of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. We have supported Second Chance Wildlife Center for years—since finding a lost gosling wandering a parking lot pre-pandemic. They have been amazing and very patient answering questions.

A Conclusion, I Guess

I do want to be clear that turning your entire property into a wildlife habitat is not for everyone. Landscaping for wildlife is a specific choice we made. No one is required to garden for wildlife if they are not comfortable. There are plenty of changes to traditional landscaping that are great for the environment and do not involve openly welcoming critters.

However, please consider that habitat destruction by humans is one of the greatest threats to wildlife. If you’ve ever thought “we really don’t need a lawn this big”, giving back a few yards at the edge of your property could be life-saving for an urban animal, or existence-saving for threatened species.

If you’re looking to make your landscape wildlife-friendly, consider pursuing a National Wildlife Federation certification. Their lists offer many options and ideas, and the resulting certification is rather satisfying.

I saw a comment declaring, “The government should be responsible for keeping our waters clean!” Well, the local government is trying, but this problem is squarely on homeowners and farmers. Blooms of algae and cyanobacteria are caused by nutrient runoff from our lawns and fields—excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilization and other common lawncare practices. No amount of self-regulation from the public works department can fix the issues caused by private property owners.

Even worse, this is the exact issue that causes Dead Zones in the Chesapeake Bay, as the water runs through our streams, down the rivers, and out to the bay. Of course it doesn’t stop there—these nutrients wash out to sea, creating massive Dead Zones in oceans around the world.

A “Dead Zone” refers to an area with such low oxygen concentration that marine life cannot survive. Nutrient runoff stimulates the overgrowth of algae, leading to a decrease in oxygen levels in the water. As a result, fish and other marine creatures either die or are forced to move to other areas, creating a “dead” zone devoid of life. These areas vary significantly in size, ranging from small pools like in the Montgomery County rivers, to expansive regions covering thousands of square kilometers. 

A Vital Solution: Better Water Quality Through Smarter Gardening

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) Bay-Wise Program, led by trained and certified Maryland Master Gardeners, educates homeowners in various counties about sustainable landscaping practices. Given that most Maryland residents live within half a mile of a storm drain, stream, or river, the program emphasizes the impact of our landscape maintenance on local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.

By adopting a few simple changes, families can contribute to healthier communities and a cleaner environment. The Bay-Wise Program addresses various environmental aspects of landscape management, aimed at improving fresh water quality and accessibility in Maryland.

Our Journey to Certification

I can be pretty conceited, and like people to know when I’m doing good things. Not the best character trait, but one that can be positively exploited when awareness needs to be spread. I was thrilled to get the Montgomery County Organic Lawncare and National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitat certifications, but it’s not likely that anyone will check to make sure I’m telling the truth about our qualifications.

Not so with the Bay-Wise Certification! There are four basic steps to a Bay-Wise certification:

1. Download the Bay-Wise “Yardstick” document and use it to measure your sustainable practices. Each listed action awards or removes “inches” from your yardstick.

2. Add or adjust your landscape practices as needed to reach at least 36” on the yardstick. We applied with 38”, but were awarded over 45” after the walkthrough!

3. Submit the completed Yardstick and Bay-Wise application to your county’s Master Gardener Program

4. Schedule a walkthrough of your property with two trained Master Gardeners, who verify the Yardstick and award the certification.

Bay-Wise Objective One: Control Stormwater Runoff

As urban areas took off, stormwater runoff was managed as “keep it out of the ground and funnel it to the nearest waterway as quickly as possible.” This approach often led to increased flooding, erosion, and pollution in local streams and rivers. Today, we recognize the importance of controlling stormwater runoff by implementing sustainable practices to slow down, capture, and naturally filter the runoff, reducing its negative impact on our waterways.

• Direct downspouts and gutters to drain onto the lawn, plant beds, or rain gardens where rain will soak into the soil rather than run off on driveways or impervious areas. However, make sure to direct this water at least 10 feet away from the house to avoid wet basement and foundation problems. Credit: 1 inch

• Plant groundcovers on thinly vegetated areas, under trees, or on slopes to decrease erosion. Credit: 1 inch

• Core aerate and amend compacted soil with compost to restore and enhance infiltration. Credit: 1 inch

• Keep grass clippings, fallen leaves, pet waste, and other yard waste out of storm drains, waterways, and drainage areas. Credit: 1 inch

• Plant mulched beds containing trees, shrubs, native grasses, or groundcovers along the low edges of your property to catch runoff. Credit: 1 inch

• Install a properly designed rain garden where it will catch runoff from roofs or other impervious surfaces. This will also help slow and soak up stormwater instead of allowing it to run off your property. Credit: 3 inches

• Install rain barrels to collect and store water from downspouts. This reduces runoff and conserves water. Credit: 1 inch

• Pick up and dispose of pet waste, every day. Dispose of this waste in garbage that goes to landfill. Do not put in compost pile. Credit: 1 inch

Bay-Wise Objective Two: Encourage Wildlife

Over 80% of US land east of the Mississippi is privately-owned. In Maryland alone, that number jumps to 94% and includes 60% of Maryland’s forested areas. To put it bluntly: we are living in necessary wildlife habitat. That’s not a bad thing! In fact, I’d love for people to learn how they are a part of nature, not above it. But it does create a lot of conflict, up to species extinction, when humans expect their property to cater to only themselves.

• Provide and properly maintain a water source, such as a birdbath or small pond, for wildlife. Change birdbath water every other day to provide a fresh, clean drink and discourage mosquitoes. Credit: 1 inch

• Provide and properly maintain wildlife shelters such as a toad house, birdhouse, a dead tree (snag), or woodpile. Keep woodpile away from house to deter unwanted insects. Credit: 1 inch

• Incorporate native trees into your landscape. Native oaks, sugar maple, river birch, and American hickory have a high wildlife value. Credit: 1 inch

• Plant native shrubs and perennials that provide cover, nesting areas, or produce berries/seeds to encourage birds. Dogwood, black or red chokeberry, serviceberry, early, tall or three-lobed coneflower, Indian grass and switchgrass are examples. Native honeysuckle, native beebalm and native lobelias, (such as cardinal flower) encourage visits from hummingbirds. Credit: 1 inch

• Encourage pollinators to visit your yard by including nectar-rich plants such as Joe-pye weed, native asters, blazing star, and goldenrod. Credit: 1 inch

• Incorporate butterfly larva host plants such as white turtlehead (for the Baltimore checkerspot), spicebush (for the spicebush swallowtail), pawpaw tree (for the zebra swallowtail), and milkweed (for the monarch butterfly) into your landscape. Credit: 1 inch

Bay-Wise Objective Three: Protect the Waterfront

As I mentioned, most Maryland residents live within half a mile of a waterway. Waterfront property includes those properties that border even the smallest streams, storm drains, and water retention ponds.

• Establish a border of low-maintenance or no-mow vegetation buffer adjacent to all bodies of water including streams, storm drains, and water retention ponds to absorb nutrients, slow runoff, and provide wildlife habitat. Credit: 3 inches

• Use native grasses with deep root systems, such as Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, or Indiangrass, to prevent erosion on hillsides along waterways. Credit: 2 inches

• Do not fertilize within 15 feet of any waterway or your well. Credit: 1 inch

• SUBTRACT 5 inches if fertilizer is applied within 15 feet of waterway.

• Keep grass clippings, other yard waste, and animal waste away from stream banks, waterways, or the river’s edge. Credit: 1 inch

Bay-Wise Objective Four: Mow Properly and Water Efficiently

As I’ve touched on previously, proper mowing techniques can remove most need for herbicides, fertilizer, and irrigation. Keep the grass at least 4” high, core aerate and overseed in fall, never trim more than a third of the grass height at once; there are many small changes that make a big impact. And limiting watering is key to reducing runoff and maintaining healthy waterways.

• Mow cool season grasses high (3–4 inches) to encourage a deeper, more droughtand pest-tolerant root system. A higher cut also shades out weeds. Remove no more than a third of the grass blade when you mow. Credit: 2 inches

• Use a reel (push) mower that mows 3–4 inches high. Credit: 1 inch

• Maintain lawn equipment in good condition. Well-tuned engines are more efficient and emit less pollution. Credit: 1 inch

Lawn Irrigation:

• Allow cool season grasses to go dormant during summer months. Credit: 2 inches

• If you choose to irrigate your lawn, do so only when it begins to wilt. Be sure to follow local water ordinances. Apply ½ to 1 inch of water per application (to a depth of 6 inches), but never more than the soil will absorb. Never allow water to run off of your yard. Long, slow, soaking applications are good; avoid short, frequent, shallow applications, which can actually do more harm than good. Credit: 1 inch

• Water early in the morning to conserve water; watering during the heat of the day causes higher losses to evaporation. Morning watering also reduces potential disease problems (evening watering encourages diseases). Credit: 1 inch

Landscape Irrigation:

• Direct water spray at the base of the landscape plant. Excess water on the leaves increases the potential for foliar diseases. Credit: 1 inch

• During hot dry weather, occasional overhead watering can temporarily help to cool plants and provide moisture for beneficial insects & spiders. Water overhead in the morning only. This allows time for the leaves to dry before disease can set in. Credit: 1 inch

• Design and maintain a landscape that, once established, will survive on natural rainfall amounts by planting trees, shrubs, and perennials that are native/adapted to your area. Credit: 2 inches

• Use drip- or micro-irrigation to conserve water in plant and flower beds. Credit: 1 inch

For landscapes that use an in-ground irrigation system:

• Give your irrigation system a check-up. Replace broken and mismatched sprinkler heads. Redirect sprinkler heads so that water falls only on lawn and garden areas, not on paved surfaces. Credit: 1 inch

• Install a rain shut-off device on your automatic sprinkler system. The shut-off device will override your system’s timer when an adequate amount of rain has fallen. Credit: 1 inch

• Design or modify your irrigation system to water lawn areas separately from plant beds, which have different water requirements. Calibrate your irrigation/sprinkler system to apply no more than 1 inch of water per application. Credit: 1 inch

Bay-Wise Objective Five: Manage Yard Pests with Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Integrated Pest Management doesn’t mean eschewing all pesticides, but it does mean taking management steps that make judicious use of pesticides a last resort. The steps of IPM include: regularly monitor for signs of plant problems and insect pests; prevent pest problems before they occur; once identified, consider cultural or mechanical means of control; encourage beneficial organisms; and as a last resort, if deciding to use a pesticide, try bio-rational materials like insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, neem, B.t. (for caterpillar pests) first. Recognize and understand that some damage is okay and even necessary in establishing a healthy ecosystem.

Remember that if you prevent all “pests” in your yard, you’re also preventing food sources for the animals you might want to see, like birds.

• Avoid routine applications of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. Spot treat only affected plants or lawn areas rather than spraying your entire lawn and landscape. (Ask your lawn and landscape maintenance company to follow these strategies if they maintain your landscape). Credit: 1 inch

• Learn to identify three beneficial insects that provide natural control of harmful pests. List them. ___________________________________________ Note: praying mantids are not necessarily beneficial — they will eat beneficial insects as well as pests; but they do indicate an environment where few harsh pesticides are used. Credit: 1 inch

• Many plants that attract & feed beneficial insects are edible. Plant at least one or two in the garden to do double duty. Examples include anise, basil, carrot, coriander, dill, fennel, mints, anise hyssop, kale, Asian greens, parsley, sage, and thyme. Credit: 1 inch

• Use non-pesticide tools such as attractants (e.g., slug traps) and barriers (e.g., floating row cover), and hand-pick insects to control pests in preference to pesticides. Avoid using Japanese beetle traps — they will actually attract beetles to your landscape. Credit: 1 inch

• Hand-pull weeds frequently where possible. It requires less effort to remove weeds when they are young and tender. This is a non-toxic way to control weeds. Credit: 1 inch

• Remove plant debris and diseased plants to prevent the spread of disease from one season to the next. Dispose of in garbage to reduce further spread — do not compost. Credit: 1 inch

• Choose resistant varieties of plants to reduce potential need for pesticides. Credit: 1 inch

• If deer, groundhogs, raccoons, or rabbits are a problem in your garden, use fencing or repellents to deter or repel them. Credit: 1 inch

• Attract beneficial insects to your garden by planting beds with a variety of native plants. These plants and other herbs help diminish pest invasions, provide habitat, and produce small flowers that serve as nectar and pollen sources for beneficial insects. Credit: 1 inch

Bay-Wise Objective Six: Mulch Appropriately and Recycle Yard Waste

Mulch in moderation can be a valuable ally in landscape maintenance. It’s far more beneficial than weed fabric—or worse, plastic sheets. We use uncolored pine mulch, and the animals love it! I had never seen a chipmunk take an adorable “dirt” bath until we added pine mulch to suppress weeds around our native plantings.

• Maintain no more than a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch over the roots of trees, shrubs, and in planting beds. Deeper mulch may prevent water from filtering down to the plant roots. Prevent wood mulch from coming in contact with tree or shrub bark. The same microorganisms that break down the mulch will damage and destroy woody plants. Leave at least 1 inch of space between the base of the tree or shrub and the mulch. Credit: 1 inch

• Create self-mulching areas under trees and shrubs where non-diseased leaves and pine needles can remain where they fall. Credit: 1 inch

• Use by-product mulches such as shredded hardwood, pine bark, or pine bark nuggets. These may be available from your community or check your local garden center. (Caution! Excessive use of hardwood mulch can cause manganese toxicity in acid-loving plants, like azaleas.) Credit: 1 inch

• Use compost, fallen leaves, dried grass clippings, and pine needles found in your yard as mulch under trees, shrubs, and in flower beds, rather than bagging and discarding them. Pine needles are great in beds of acid-loving plants like azaleas, Japanese pieris and rhododendron. They make attractive natural mulch and they’re free. Credit: 1 inch

• Create and maintain a compost pile with collected clippings, leaves, and kitchen scraps (no animal products, please; crushed eggshells are okay). Check your local city/county ordinances to see if kitchen scraps can be used. Credit: 2 inches

  • We received credit for this because we are part of a local compost co-op.

• Vermicompost indoors if you cannot compost outdoors. Credit: 1 inch

Bay-Wise Objective Seven: Fertilize Wisely

Fertilizer doesn’t just cause problems in stormwater runoff. Improper use of fertilizer can build up salts in the soil, scorching your plants from the bottom up. They can also affect winter hardiness, exaggerate pest problems, and make plants grow excessively (which can mean more mowing too!).

If you choose to plant native plants, you should not fertilize them at all! They evolved to grow in your local ecosystem, even if soil health is poor when you start. Fertilized native plants tend to grow fast and weak, flopping over when the stem no longer supports itself.

• Test your soil every 3 to 5 years. Results will indicate nutrient/lime needs. Follow recommendations as specified. Call your county Extension office or the Home and Garden Information Center, HGIC, at 1-800-342-2507, for information on getting your soil tested. Credit: 2 inches

• Use a fertilizer with the proper balance of nutrients for landscape plants. Generally, trees and shrubs need a ratio of 3:1:1 of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium (N-P-K); flowering plants need a higher amount of P than N and K while established lawns need a fertilizer high in N, no P and moderate in K. Use appropriate fertilizer on turf. The N should be higher than the K. Appropriate formulations might be: 28-0-4 or 35-0-6. Credit: 1 inch

• Fertilize cool season grasses (fescues, bluegrass and ryegrass) only in the fall (September through early November). Warm season grasses such as Zoysia and Bermudagrass should only be fertilized from mid-May to early June. Credit: 1 inch

• Grass-cycle. Minimize the need for synthetic lawn fertilizers by using a mulching blade on your mower and leaving grass clippings on the lawn to decompose. This is called grass-cycling and can fertilize your lawn for free. Credit: 1 inch

• Use compost, slow release, or natural organic fertilizers. Buy fertilizers that contain at least 20% of the nitrogen in slow release forms. Look for words such as water insoluble nitrogen (WIN), controlled release nitrogen, sulfur coated urea (SCU), IBDU, ureaformaldehyde (UF) or resin-coated urea to indicate slow release forms. Credit: 1 inch

• Avoid spilling/leaving granular fertilizer on paved surfaces. Sweep it back onto the lawn or collect it for use later. Credit: 1 inch

• During the fall, mow when lawn is lightly covered with fallen leaves. Leave finely shredded leaves on lawn to decompose and release nutrients to the soil. Mulching mowers are great for this task. This action adds ‘free’ nutrients to the lawn which reduces the amount of recommended fertilizer by 25–30%. Credit: 3 inches

• Check here if you never fertilize your landscape plants. Credit: 5 inches

• Check here if you never fertilize or don’t have a lawn. Credit: 5 inches

Bay-Wise Objective Eight: Plant Wisely

Plants suited to not only your ecosystem but also your landscape microclimates require far less maintenance and intervention. Native landscapers love to say “Right Plant, Right Place”, and they’re right. Even in a yard as small as ours, there are ideal microclimates for different plants. Our full-sun plants have only about 8 square feet to grow in, while another area benefits plants that love shade and wet feet.

• Incorporate a variety of native plants into your landscape. Give yourself credit if you have at least 4 different species. List them. Credit: 1 inch

• If you choose to have a lawn, plant drought-tolerant turfgrass species such as turf-type tall fescue, fine fescue, or zoysia grass instead of higher-maintenance species like Kentucky bluegrass. In areas with no foot traffic, consider planting native grasses, ground covers, or shrubs. Credit: 1 inch

  

• Convert lawn to a conservation landscape. Determine how much grass you want for children, pets, recreation, or ornamental purposes. Grass requires extensive maintenance to grow well, potentially resulting in greater air and water pollution. Where possible, replace unneeded lawn areas with beds of low or no maintenance native ground covers, grasses, perennials, shrubs, or trees. Credit: 2 inches

• Save energy by using trees and shrubs to shade the southern and western walls of your home and your air conditioner compressor. Credit: 1 inch

• Use deciduous trees on southern exposures to allow the sun to passively heat your home in winter, and/or use evergreen trees and shrubs on northwestern exposures to protect your home from cold winter winds. Credit: 1 inch

• Educate yourself about what is invasive in our area and avoid planting these plants. Help stop the spread of invasive, exotic plants such as English ivy, Bamboo, Purple loosestrife, Japanese honeysuckle, Norway maple, ‘Bradford’ callery pear, Russian olive, Chinese bittersweet, Multi-flora rose, Kudzu, and Tree of heaven by removing them from your landscape. Credit: 1 inch

• SUBTRACT 3 inches if landscape contains any above-mentioned plants.

In Summary, at last

The Bay-Wise program supplies a thorough framework for sustainable landscaping. It’s become my go-to checklist when deciding landscape changes, even after certification. Our visit with the Master Gardeners was delightful, and they continue to support our efforts post-certification with resources and mentoring.

I only wish I’d begun our application sooner, so I had their insights before we qualified!

If I asked you to picture a perfectly sustainable home or business, would it include tech? Would it even have electric lights? Maybe you’d imagine an earthship in a desert, off the grid, with dusty plants all over its roof.

Sustainable for the earth, but not so much sustainable for our interests and lifestyles.

I do love how earthships look and work, but MY work is in tech. We need power, internet, and videogames. Well, maybe “need” isn’t the word—but it would be a huge and uncomfortable pivot to drop them. Most of our income and spending revolve around technology.

So how does this reconcile with my mission of climate resilience? I take a page from Pru Foster’s book, A Drop of Grace: Finding and Protecting Our Common Ground. Dr. Foster points out that our greatest tool for sustainability is often our budget. She suggests taking a look at your biggest monthly spend (in her case, the mortgage), and seeing if your money is going to a sustainable company.

The first place I looked is Microsoft. Our home runs on quite a few Microsoft products, like the family Microsoft 365 plan. We have game passes and PCs and Xbox. And at work, we’re a Microsoft partner—all our clients are hosted in Microsoft Azure. I’m also a responsible AI advocate, with a ChatGPT subscription—all running in Microsoft Azure.

Knowing that my money supports a company committed to sustainability is crucial, and I’m relieved to find that Microsoft was way ahead of me! In 2020, Microsoft set ambitious goals focusing on four key areas of sustainability: carbon, water, land use, and waste. They created departments (and jobs!) to ensure their focus is correct and their methods are sound. Let’s dive into what they’re doing in each of these crucial areas, and why it makes me proud to support them.

From this point, all quotes, stats, and images are sourced from Microsoft’s Sustainability Journey page and 2024 Environmental Sustainability Report.

Carbon: Aiming for Carbon Negative

Microsoft is not just aiming to reduce its carbon footprint; it’s committed to becoming carbon negative by 2030. This means they will remove more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit. They plan to achieve this through:

• Reducing Emissions: By transitioning to renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency across their operations. Their biggest challenge remains Scope 3 emissions—supply chains, travel, hardware cycles, and other indirect operations.

• Removing Carbon: Investing in technologies and projects that actively remove carbon from the atmosphere, such as afforestation and carbon capture.

• Empowering Customers: Providing tools and resources to help their customers reduce their own carbon footprints through more sustainable IT solutions.

  “In FY23, 76.5% of our total emissions originated from our suppliers. We believe Microsoft also has a role to play in bringing the global supply chain with us on our journey to net zero.”

Water: Creating Water Positive Impact

Water is a precious resource, often taken for granted. Microsoft is working towards becoming water positive by 2030. Their “five pillars of water positive” are:

• Reducing Water Usage: Implementing water-saving measures in their operations, from cooling data centers to everyday office practices.

  “Our new datacenters are designed and optimized to support AI workloads and will consume zero water for cooling.”

• Replenishing Water Sources: Supporting initiatives that replenish more water in stressed regions than they consume. This includes investing in projects that restore wetlands and other natural water systems.

• Scaling water solutions: Implementing scalable water management solutions that can be adopted globally, helping to address water scarcity in different regions. This includes leveraging cloud-based tools to monitor and optimize water usage in real-time.

• Advocating for effective and innovative water policy: Working with governments, NGOs, tribes, and industry leaders to promote policies that encourage water conservation and sustainable management practices. This involves participating in global water forums and contributing to the development of international water standards.

• Increasing access to water: Partnering with organizations to provide clean water access to underserved communities. This includes funding infrastructure projects like wells and water purification systems, and supporting education programs that promote water conservation and hygiene practices.

  In FY23, we met our water access target by providing more than 1.5 million people with access to clean water and sanitation solutions in Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, and Mexico.”

Land Use: Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems

Microsoft understands the importance of preserving our natural landscapes. Their commitment to land use focuses on:

• Protecting Ecosystems: Ensuring that their operations do not harm natural habitats. This involves careful planning and impact assessments for all new projects.

  “In FY23, we updated our Sustainability Standards for new construction to include ecosystem protection for both flora and fauna. Namely, for projects that include landscaping, a local expert will be consulted to avoid invasive species and ensure plantings are native to the area. And to protect local wildlife, projects that alter or update an existing facade will be designed to meet LEED Bird Collision Deterrence pilot credits.”

• Restoring Degraded Lands: Partnering with organizations to restore ecosystems that have been damaged by industrial activity or natural disasters.

• Sustainable Development: Promoting sustainable land use practices both within their operations and in the broader community.

  “In 2020, we committed to protecting more land than we use by 2025. As of FY23, 15,849 acres of land have been legally designated as permanently protected. We have exceeded our land protection target of 11,000 by more than 40%”

Waste: Towards Zero Waste

Waste management is a critical component of sustainability. Microsoft aims to achieve zero waste for their direct operations, products, and packaging by 2030. Their approach includes:

• Reducing Waste Production: Designing products and processes that minimize waste generation.

• Recycling and Reuse: Implementing comprehensive recycling programs and encouraging the reuse of materials wherever possible.

  “Reuse and recycle rates of servers and components across all cloud hardware reached 89.4% in FY23.”

• Circular Economy: Promoting a circular economy model, where products are designed to be reused, refurbished, or recycled at the end of their life cycle.

A Commitment to a Sustainable Future

Microsoft’s commitments to sustainability are not just about corporate responsibility; they’re about leading by example. By addressing carbon, water, land use, and waste in their operations, Microsoft is paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future for all of us.

I love that every time I look at their 2024 Sustainability Report, I learn new ways to make a positive impact on the planet. It’s inspiring to see such a major player in the tech industry taking these crucial steps. It gives me hope that together, we can build a better, more sustainable world.

Problem one: Gas-powered lawn equipment releases more pollutants than cars do.

The mitigation strategy here is simple: don’t use gas-powered lawn equipment. Unfortunately, electric mowers and leaf blowers are a luxury at their current cost.

Our front lawn is small enough that we use manual tools most of the time—a reel mower, Japanese sickles, and a machete. It’s a good workout and rather cathartic. But if my health takes a dip, impossible to do. (Note that we’ve only had to trim our lawn five times this year due to our other maintenance actions, or lack thereof.)

The real solution is to decrease high-maintenance turf areas to only what is necessary. Turf grass is still the best solution for things like athletic fields and park areas with a lot of foot traffic, but it’s really not necessary in a cosmetic lawn. That space could be planted with ornamental plants, a ground cover, or, at minimum, just allowed to grow longer (not a great option if you’re fighting invasive plants, but not as bad as most people picture.)

Problem Two: Overuse of fertilizer, and carbon-costly manufacture of synthetic fertilizer, pollute our air and drinking water (which is generally not treated for it.)

For any plant to grow, it must have nutrients. In a typical ecosystem, the plants swell and die back as their cycle has evolved to do. Grass takes up nutrients through its roots, sending it through the blade to grow and fulfill its purpose of survival and reproduction. As growth conditions wane, the blade falls back and decays—returning its nutrients to the soil.

Common turf management cuts the growth period, literally. Grass is forced to regenerate its blade again and again, then raked away without nutrients returning to the soil. Rather than develop deeper roots that encourage long-term survival, all its energy is used on Sisyphean blade regrowth. Therefore, turf maintenance requires constant fertilization and soil amendments (also because it’s very unlikely that the grass species is native to the continent it’s grown in and requires specific soil changes.)

This problem has one of the simplest solutions: don’t use fertilizer unless absolutely necessary, and use organic fertilizer when you do. The rest of the time, keep your grass at a minimum of 4 inches (this also helps shade out weeds), never cut more than a quarter of the blade off, and leave the cut ends to decay back into the soil. That’s what we do, and our lawn is still deep green in this heat wave while neighbors with traditional lawns have dead areas.

Problem Three: Treated drinking water is used to keep grass, instead of humans, alive.

I’m still boggling at the amount of water Americans use on their lawns. I think people are beginning to wake up to the problem of a water shortage. I hope. Unfortunately, this is going to fatally cost impoverished communities long before more comfortable communities care to change.

Solution: ban turf lawns At a minimum, keep turf grass at least 4 inches tall and mow less often so grass can developer deeper roots. Ideally, replace turf with local ecotype native plants when possible. Plants that evolved to live in your region are used to its weather patterns and rainfall, and require less watering. Of course, climate change is causing issues with changing weather patterns, but a local ecotype will still be better equipped to adapt. When you do need to water, use rainwater harvested from your roof runoff.

Problem Four: Pesticides (including herbicides) are used unnecessarily and cause cascading damage long after their application.

Pesticide application in cosmetic lawns is very rarely necessary. Unwanted plants should be removed manually first, with targeted herbicide as a last and measured resort. Bugs can be managed with a variety of integrated management techniques, sometimes as simply as allowing natural predators to feed on them.

A growing body of evidence in scientific literature shows that pesticide exposure can adversely affect neurological, respiratory, immune, and endocrine systems in humans, even at low levels. Children are especially sensitive to pesticide exposure because they (1) take up more pesticides (relative to their body weight) than do adults, and (2) have developing organ systems that are more vulnerable to pesticide impacts and less able to detoxify harmful chemicals. Fortunately, there are proven safe, effective, and affordable ways to maintain attractive lawns and playing fields without the use of toxic pesticides.

Read more at Beyond Pesticides.

I hope this gives you ideas for cutting back on the impact your turf lawn may be having on your environment. My environment, too! We’re all in this together.

If you feel you must have a turf lawn, please consider reducing the size as much as possible. Keep it a tiny bit higher, mow it less often, and use natural solutions to address issues. None of these low-impact landscaping actions should violate existing HOA regulations.

This post’s hero image created by ChatGPT, powered by Azure OpenAI Service. This image was generated using Microsoft Azure’s cloud infrastructure, which is designed with a commitment to environmental sustainability. Microsoft aims to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency in their data centers, contributing to a greener planet. Additionally, Microsoft Azure’s AI data centers employ innovative waterless cooling technology to further minimize environmental impact and conserve water resources. Read more about Microsoft’s sustainability goals and progress.

The Maryland Biodiversity and Agriculture Protection Act (House Bill 979/Senate Bill 915) was introduced in February. This act disposes of the state’s now-former two-tier invasive plant classification method, which had required a cost- and time-prohibitive full speculative risk assessment on each plant. With over 50 expert testimonies, mostly in favor, the act swiftly passed through the Maryland General Assembly and was signed into law by the end of May.

This act brings Maryland’s management of invasive plant species more in-line with other Mid-Atlantic states. In fact, it is following the lead of successful regulations, such as in Delaware, in adopting the NatureServe’s Invasive Species Assessment Protocol framework.

Before October 1, 2024, the Secretary of Agriculture is required to post a list of prohibited invasive species, as well as an official method of disposal for species currently planted in Maryland communities. This initial list will prioritize assessment of plants from four sources:

1. The former tier 1 and 2 plants.

2. The Maryland Invasive Species Council’s Species of Concern

3. The field guide Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas

4. Species already regulated by other Mid-Atlantic states

What is an Invasive Plant in Maryland?

An Invasive Plant Species in Maryland is a plant that did not evolve in the state and has been determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, with advice from the Secretary of Natural Resources and experts, to cause environmental, economic, ecological harm, or harm to human health.

Invasive species benefit immensely from arriving in new environments without the natural controls (e.g., herbivores, parasites, and pathogens) found in their native ranges that would help to keep them in check.

According to estimates by Crowl et al. 2008 and Pimentel et al. 2005, the annual cost of invasive species in the U.S. is $120 billion. This total includes reduced productivity and sales from agricultural and forest products; impaired use of waterways and terrestrial habitats; harm to the health of people and animals; lower property values; and costs related to monitoring, preventing, controlling, and regulating invasive species.

(source: Plant Invaders of Mid–Atlantic Natural Areas)

How are these harm levels assessed?

The Secretary of Agriculture and Invasive Plant Committee use the Invasive Plant Species Status Assessment Protocol, based on the widely-recognized NatureServe’s 2004 Protocol (“AN INVASIVE SPECIES ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL: EVALUATING NON–NATIVE PLANTS FOR THEIR IMPACT ON BIODIVERSITY. VERSION 1.”).

This protocol screens any potentially harmful plants with two primary questions:

1. Is this species currently established outside cultivation as a non-native (i.e., as a direct or indirect result of human activity) somewhere within the region of interest?

2. Is this species known or suspected to be present in conservation areas or other native species habitats somewhere within the region of interest?

If a plant species passes the yes-no screening with two 'yes' answers, it is then assigned an 'I-Rank Score' based on 20 weighted multiple-choice assessment questions, grouped into four sections addressing the major aspects of an invasive species' impact:

1. Ecological Impact (5 questions, 50% of I-Rank Score)

2. Current Distribution and Abundance (4 questions, 25% of I-Rank Score)

3. Trend in Distribution and Abundance (7 questions, 15% of I-Rank Score)

4. Management Difficulty (4 questions, 10% of I-Rank Score)

What plants are being assessed first?

I’m working on a database of all plants from the sources I listed above. At the time of writing I have 307 entries.

For each plant I am listing:

• the scientific name (binomial)

• common names found

• habit (the plant’s general appearance or growth form)

• aquatic detail, if applicable

• habitat

• indication of Mid-Atlantic states that regulate this plant already (or USDA)

  • This field should not be used to determine if a plant is invasive or not. It only confirms known regulations and is incomplete at this time.

• any additional tags I use to sort the data

• a link to dated changelogs for when the plant is updated

I have plants on these lists! What do I do?

The Maryland Secretary of Agriculture is required to establish a procedure for the disposal of prohibited invasive plants before October 1, 2024.

If you’re able, consider proactively replacing your plants with non-invasive or native plants. Be sure not to compost or keep the invasive plant on-site. Instead, dispose of it in a trash bag with household trash headed for a landfill. Tie the bag well!

HOAs get painted as authoritarian regimes—a few nosy neighbors dictating what the majority can do around their own homes. After living in one for several years, I prefer to think of it as a union. We elect leaders, form committees when needed, plan programs that benefit the entire community, and design covenants democratically. To me, this is the ideal setup for building community resilience. Everyone has a stake in the common property areas, and everyone has a say in the direction the community grows.

Of course Janet and Jeff Crouch, may they be forever revered, did the hard work in Maryland when it comes to restricting HOA rules against conservation/low-impact landscaping. Their lawn re-wilding project led to state legislation that protects homeowners’ rights to do better for nature.

Defining High-Impact Landscaping

So what exactly about nice green turf lawns is high-impact? The maintenance, mostly. I’m going to throw some stats with sources here, instead of trying to make it all pretty. The facts are really not pretty in any way.

Problem one: Gas-powered lawn equipment releases more pollutants than cars do.

1. Fueling gas-powered lawn care equipment uses “800 million gallons of gasoline annually, with 17 million additional gallons spilled in the process.”

2. “A four stroke lawnmower operating for one hour equates to a vehicle traveling for 500 miles.”

3. “Levels of emissions were 124 times higher from an idling two stroke engine than from a car or truck.”

4. “A consumer grade leaf blower releases more hydrocarbons than a pick up truck or a sedan.”

Problem Two: Overuse of fertilizer, and carbon-costly manufacture of synthetic fertilizer, pollute our air and drinking water (which is generally not treated for it.)

1. “According to a study by the EPA, 40 to 60 percent of nitrogen [from lawns] ends up in surface and groundwater.”

2. “David Wolfe, a professor of plant and soil ecology at Cornell noted that for every ton of nitrogen created to make [synthetic] fertilizer, four or five tons of carbon are added to the atmosphere.”

3. “A lawn does not need, or can hold, the amount of nitrogen in the fertilizer. Soil microbes will then turn this additional nitrogen into nitrous oxide gas, a greenhouse gas that has 300 times the heat-trapping ability of CO2.”

Problem Three: Treated drinking water is used to keep grass, instead of humans, alive.

1. “Approximately 50-70 percent of our residential water is used for landscaping, most of it to water lawns, which total approximately 20-30 million acres in the United States.”

2. In 2022, the state of Nevada passed a bill that not only banned the installation of new lawns in the state, but also mandated the removal of any lawn deemed nonfunctional. “The authority estimates there are about 3,900 acres of grass to be removed, which could yield savings of up to 9.5 billion gallons of water annually…” A heavy decision made in response to a years-long drought that is draining Nevada’s lakes, along with the Colorado River.

Problem Four: Pesticides (including herbicides) are used unnecessarily and cause cascading damage long after their application.

1. “The use of pesticides and other chemicals to care for lawns has also led to the death of nearly 7 million birds each year, a topic that was central to the novel Silent Spring by the conservationist Rachel Carson.”

2. “According to the United States Geological Survey, 99% of the urban water samples that were tested contained one or more types of pesticides.”

There are so many other costs to nature, and our own health, beyond that short list. But I’m attempting to focus on what makes landscaping actions high or low impact. I’ve gotta be honest, this is emotional for me; lawns are emotional for a lot of people.

In the next part, I’ll look at what low-impact landscaping means and how it addresses these issues.

After a native landscaper asked me what species I was trying to attract, my research began. I knew I wanted some type of chickadee, but the only other wildlife I could think of are the Red-Shouldered Hawk (who greatly enjoyed our backyard mice) and foxes that live in our community. So I ordered a bag of mixed seeds targeted towards East Coast birds and started cataloging and researching. But, after months of watching my bird feeder, I realized the one bird species I knew I wanted to see wasn’t appearing.

There are two species of chickadees in Maryland, but only one in range for our home: Carolina chickadee. Everywhere I read, people already feeding chickadees were attracting them with back sunflower seeds (a favorite of all Maryland wildlife, apparently), which I had in my mix. But more than that, the feeder needed to be accessible in a way that makes them feel safe. They also don’t need sunflower seeds so much as another rare suburban food source: insects. According to one source, Carolina chickadees (and other insectivores) need over 5000 insects per clutch to feed their hatchlings.

My mission has become:

1. Make my backyard feel safe for chickadees to forage

2. Create a variety of native food sources

3. Build safe spaces for chickadees to raise young

Our first step was stopping any and all use of pesticides. We’d been getting to that slowly and naturally over the last few years, part from laziness and part from concern about constant substances coating our lawn. Our only bug “problem” has been indoor ants, and my husband is a Borax-trap expert at this point. I was slightly concerned that this year, with no pesticides and insane rainfall, we’d be overrun with gnats. However, the birds keep things pretty clean. On a humid walk a few weeks ago, we even noted that the area around our home was the best gnat-free zone in the neighborhood.

Second, I got involved with my local Wild Ones chapter and picked up a number of native plants at their Spring plant swap. We knew the birds require insects that are not generalist feeders, like caterpillars that have evolved to eat only a single type of plant. After the swap, both our front and back yards are lined with a variety of flowers and shrubs native to our region. For now, the leaves feed the insects and the insects feed the birds. Eventually, the shrubs will produce berries that also support chickadees and other wildlife.

Finally, I got some new style feeders and more options for food, including mealworms and suet. It will take time for butterflies and moths to lay eggs on our new plants, and longer still for plump, delicious caterpillars to emerge. So we must artificially supplement!

So did it work? Yeah! Or I probably would not be blogging about it. We’ve had at least three Carolina chickadees coming almost daily for food and water. Our next step will be nesting areas, not just for the chickadees but also for the other wildlife attracted by our plants, bugs, seed, and water.

Follow me on iNaturalist to see what else pops up in our yard!

1. Over half of our yard is on an incline of about 13%, sending water from the surrounding homes straight towards our back door.

2. There is a yard drain at the bottom of the incline. Where does it go? Who else depends on it? Who knows?

3. Our yard is very, very full of invasive plants right now.

4. I already have several native species growing that I’d prefer not to move:

   1. Coral Honeysuckle

   2. Spicebushes

   3. Elderberry

   4. Wild Ginger

   5. Sensitive Fern

   6. Philadelphia Fleabane

   7. Late Boneset

   8. Jewelweed

5. Most of the backyard gets only 4-ish hours of sunlight a day. Where the Coral Honeysuckle is planted is in a rare, more full-sun spot.

6. I promised the neighbor to my right (in this picture) that I would refrain from building snake hiding spots along the side of the fence we share.

I’ve already discovered issues with my design.

1. Our slope is too steep for the 4 swales I wanted to add.

2. The slope is too steep for any sort of rain garden.

I’m doing my best to educate myself. It’s a process. Where do I go from here? How do I simplify the design to be more practical and still meet my conservation goals?

First baby step: putting down black plastic to kill the turf and invasives on areas I don’t have immediate plans for beds, and using cardboard and mulch where I do have immediate plans.