GREEN NEWS & VIEWS
County Council in particular needs to stop encouraging turf grass and mowing by ending its Grasscycle Program; all counties in gen - eral should reexamine their own policies, and promote or continue to support those that encourage watershed protections and sustain- able green infrastructure practices. There should be an engaging flyer promoting Bay friendly yards and discouraging turf grass and mow - ing enclosed with every property tax bill mailed to property owners. As a watershed steward studying the impacts from our yard prac - tices on our water sources, I integrated and applied what I had learned from sustainable farmers to my yards. Turf grass captures no stormwater and feeds nothing; and mowers, leaf blowers, and trim- mers leave no pollinator or any other beneficial (or benefit) behind. Watershed Stewardship Resources in the DMV Watershed Stewards are volunteers who play a leadership role in their communities in projects to clean up local streams and rivers, and restore natural ecosystems. They learn how to install projects that will improve the water quality—including rain gardens, rain bar- rels, and conservation landscaping. Here are some valuable resources to learn more about these programs and other opportunities avail- able in our region. Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Wa- ter Quality Stewardship Guide Provided by Fairfax County, Virginia, to aid citizens in cleaning up and preventing water pollution. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/soil-water-conservation/water-quali - ty-stewardship-guide
Maryland Sea Grant’s Watershed Steward Academies Train local environmental stewards. There are currently six water- shed stewards academies operating in Maryland, located in: Anne Arundel, Cecil, Harford, Howard, and St. Mary's Counties, and in the National Capital region, which includes Montgomery and Prince George’s counties plus the District of Columbia. More academies are planned for the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland. https://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/watershed-stewards/water - shed-stewards Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards (VoiCeS program) Offers classes that are a professionally taught, intensive educational training course for clean water advocates who want to take a more active role in saving the Bay. https://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/ virginia/hampton-roads/voices.html Alyce Ortuzar is a freelance medical and social science research- er, writer, and editor. She runs the Well Mind Association of Great- er Washington, a holistic medicine information clearinghouse that focuses on environmental and nutritional influences on our men - tal and physical well-being. For five years, she edited the U.S. Sur - geon General’s smoking and health reports. She can be reached at (301) 774-6617 and by email at alyceortuzar@gmail.com.
PATHWAYS—Summer 21—23
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