Resources For Conservation Landscaping/Habitat Restoration, Environmental Education and More
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay – “The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is a regional nonprofit organization that builds and fosters partnerships to protect and to restore the Bay and its rivers.” ACB provides extensive BayScaping information. ph. DC 202-466-4633, VA 804-775-0951, PA 717-737-8622, MD 410-377-6270. https://allianceforthebay.org
Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy – trains and supports community leaders to serve as Master Watershed Stewards in the protection, restoration and conservation of our watersheds, working to reduce the negative impacts of stormwater runoff in Anne Arundel County. If you live in Anne Arundel County, you can make a difference in the health of our waterways. www.aawsa.org
Center for Ecoliteracy – “promotes ecological education. We recognize that students need to experience and understand how nature sustains life and how to live accordingly. We encourage schools to teach and model sustainable practices.” www.ecoliteracy.org
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters – Merrill Center, 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403, ph. 410-268-8816. Ongoing restoration and demonstration projects on 33 acres. Arboretum, formal native landscape gardens, no-mow meadows, non-tidal wetlands, upland reforestation, bio-retention stormwater management, rain gardens, rain barrels. Open to the public weekdays, 9-5. Please check in with the receptionist before touring the grounds. www.cbf.org/landscaping
Chesapeake Bay Program – “The Chesapeake Bay Program is a partnership of people and organizations, ranging from federal and state agencies to local governments to non-profits and academic institutions. Individuals involved with the Bay Program work at both CBP’s Annapolis, Maryland headquarters and at partner organizations throughout the Bay watershed.” www.chesapeakebay.net
Chesapeake Bay Trust – ”The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a private, nonprofit grant making organization whose mission is to promote public awareness of and participation in the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.” Their “Lessons Learned” page contains helpful tips for conservation landscaping/habitat restoration projects. http://www.cbtrust.org/site/c.miJPKXPCJnH/b.5369099/k.84B2/Lessons_Learned.htm
Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council – “The coalition is made up of individuals and organizations dedicated to researching, promoting, and educating the public about conservation-based gardening and landscaping practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.” www.chesapeakelandscape.org
Chesapeake Ecology Center – CEC at Adams Academy at Adams Park, 245 Clay Street, Annapolis, MD 21401. Educational programs; ongoing restoration and demonstration projects at various locations; 24 Native Plant Demonstration Gardens at the CEC, including several rain gardens. Located on 10 acres, along the tidal headwaters of College Creek in the heart of Annapolis. Search our website for green living topics and conservation landscaping information. www.ChesapeakeEcologyCenter.org and www.RainScaping.org.
Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) – has a wealth of information on a range of conservation landscaping topics. HGIC is a statewide program providing outreach education to Maryland residents and beyond. They provide earth-friendly, research-based gardening information and education. You can ask a gardening expert your gardening, plant ID, and pest questions anytime via their website. Answers are e-mailed within 48 hours. Ask the experts at the Home and Garden Information Center at – http://extension.umd.edu/hgic/about.
Landscape for Life – “is based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ program (SITES™), the nation’s first rating system for sustainable landscapes. SITES™ is an interdisciplinary effort led by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden in conjunction with a diverse group of stakeholder organizations.” http://landscapeforlife.org
Low Impact Development Center – “is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Low Impact Development (LID) technology. Low Impact Development is a new, comprehensive land planning and engineering design approach with a goal of maintaining and enhancing the pre-development hydrologic regime of urban and developing watersheds.” www.lowimpactdevelopment.org
LID Urban Design Tools Website – designed by Low Impact Development Center. “This site provides watershed managers with a new set of tools and techniques that can be used to meet regulatory and receiving water protection program goals for urban retrofits, re-development projects, and new development sites.” www.lid-stormwater.net
Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education – “Founded in 1985, the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) is a 501 (c) 3, nonprofit educational association that serves teachers, natural resource managers, nature center staff and environmental program managers with dynamic training programs, workshops, conferences, awards programs, networking opportunities, publications, and related materials and resources. The organization supports environmental educators throughout the state as they work to create and improve awareness and change behavior among Maryland’s schools and communities. MAEOE encourages, engages and empowers the community to understand, responsibly use and promote the natural world.” http://maeoe.org
MD Bay-Wise Program – “focuses on water quality. It comprises a comprehensive set of environmental topics that affect the quality and quantity of water here in Maryland. Most of these topics relate to landscape management, however, a few, like hydrology, wells & septic systems, hazardous household products and water conservation, address household issues.” https://extension.umd.edu/baywise
Maryland Forest Service – “restores, manages, and protects Maryland’s trees, forests, and forested ecosystems to sustain our natural resources and connect people to the land.” http://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/default.aspx
Maryland Native Plant Society’s – “mission is to promote awareness, appreciation, and conservation of Maryland’s native plants and their habitats. We pursue our mission through education, research, advocacy, and service activities.” www.mdflora.org
National Audubon Society – Audubon at Home Program: “Create healthy habitats in your backyards and other spaces by planting native species, removing invasive plants, reducing pesticide use, conserving water, protecting water quality, and keeping birds safe.” www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/index.html
National Wildlife Federation – “Gardening for wildlife means you’ll get to see beautiful butterflies and birds as well as have a vibrant yard filled with native plants. Start your own wildlife habitat today with our help.” www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife
Native Plant Center Chesapeake Region – “In 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the publication, Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Citizens, schools, non profit organizations, communities and government agencies used this resource to find the native plants that met their local conditions and interests in order to create landscapes to attract wildlife and reduce the amount of pollutants going into the Chesapeake Bay. Demand for this resource has never waned. To reach more citizens and organizations, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service envisioned an online version of the guide, the Native Plants Center Chesapeake Region. This expanded online guide includes a geo-locator feature to identify plants suited to your location, and a searchable database of the native plants that meet your conditions.” www.nativeplantcenter.net/plants/
Sustainable Sites Initiative – “is an interdisciplinary partnership between the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the United States Botanic Garden and a diverse group of stakeholder organizations to develop guidelines and standards for landscape sustainability. The motivation behind this initiative stems from the desire to protect and enhance the ability of landscapes to provide services such as climate regulation, clean air and water, and improved quality of life. Sustainable Sites™ is a cooperative effort with the intention of supplementing existing green building and landscape guidelines as well as becoming a stand-alone tool for site sustainability.” www.sustainablesites.org/
University of Maryland Extension (UME) – “is a statewide, non-formal education system within the college of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. UME educational programs and problem-solving assistance are available to citizens and are based on the research and experience of land grant universities such as the University of Maryland, College Park.” http://extension.umd.edu/about
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – provides resources on conservation landscaping. www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=NRCS_Agency_Splash.xml
US Environmental Protection Agency – “GreenScaping: The Easy Way to a Greener, Healthier Yard. Our yards are our outdoor homes: fun, beautiful, great spaces for relaxing. By taking care of our lawns and gardens properly, we can save money, time, and help the environment. GreenScaping encompasses a set of landscaping practices that can improve the health and appearance of your lawn and garden while protecting and preserving natural resources.” https://archive.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/tools/greenscapes/web/html/pubs.html
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office – “Our mission is to conserve protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Chesapeake Bay Field Office biologists work to protect endangered and threatened species, migratory birds, freshwater and anadromous fish, and wildlife habitats in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. We also work with many other private and public partners to preserve and protect living resources of the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay ecosystems.” Provides extensive information on conservation landscaping. www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Schoolyard Habitat program – “helps teachers and students create wildlife habitat on school grounds. Habitat is the collective term for the food, water, shelter and nursery areas that all wildlife needs to survive. … The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides and coordinates with other agencies to give technical assistance and project guidance; provides teacher training; develops written resources; and works with the state Departments of Education on incorporating habitat issues into new school construction and renovation projects.” www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/schoolyd.htm