Practice Responsible Yard Care and Environmental Stewardship
How can we justify asking someone else to stop polluting the Caloosahatchee River, when we continue to bathe our lawns in toxic, nutrient-rich lawn care products and then overwater them? This carries byproducts into the street, storm drains and right into the River, Bay and Gulf.
All of us can help our whole ecosystem just by starting in our own front and back yards with responsible yard care practices. Being an environmental steward starts there.
Although not related to the Caloosahatchee River issues, the Estero Bay situation is a prime example of how the lack of environmental stewardship can adversely affect an ecosystem. The Bay recently received the worst grade of 10 Southwest Florida estuaries in The Conservancy of Southwest Florida's Estuary Report Card. A full 68% of the estuary and its watershed, which stretches from the Caloosahatchie River south to the Collier County line, is polluted because of high nutrient levels and low dissolved oxygen levels. The culprit is growth around Florida Gulf Coast University. Read more by clicking here (http://www.conservancy.org/EstuariesReportCard.pdf).
Please access the following links to sites where you will find useful tips on what you can do in your own yard to reduce the pollution in our waters.
50 Ways to be Water Smart
www.sfwmd.gov/curre/watshort/pdfs/spl50ways.pdf
Tips from SFWMD on how you can help save Florida's limited water supply.
Florida-Friendly Yard Tips
www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/yards
Transform your yard into a beautiful oasis; save water, time and energy; and reduce pollution.
Florida Yards and Neighborhoods for Lee County
lee.ifas.ufl.edu/fynmain.htm
Information from the University of Florida IFAS Extension Lee County on creating a Florida-friendly yard and a certification program that can help you transform your yard into a beautiful oasis that will not only conserve precious water resources and reduce pollution, but also will help you save time, energy and money.
Lee County Water Use Regulations
www.sfwmd.gov/org/wsd/wateruse/yearrndlndscape.htm
Mandatory year round landscape irrigation measures for Lee County.
Natives for Your Neighborhood
www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/default.asp
A program of the Institute of Regional Conservation in which you can discover how to turn simple gardening into habitat restoration by using plants that are native to your specific area.
Sensible Sprinkling
www.sfwmd.gov/curre/watshort/pdfs/splsensprnk.pdf
Tips from SFWMD on irrigation and sprinkling.
Water Wisely Southwest Florida
www.sfwmd.gov/sw_camp
Information and links from the South Florida Water Management District water conservation program called “Water Wisely: Conservation Starts in Your Backyard.”
