 |
Restoring our natural heritage... |
The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping
Council is a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to
researching, promoting, and educating the public about conservation-based
gardening and landscaping practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
The Council is committed to fostering changes in public attitudes and
the implementation of practices that result in a cleaner, healthier
and more beautiful environment benefiting residents and the region's
biological diversity. |
||
|
||||
|
(pdf file)
|
We are pleased to announce our participation in the Summer 2008 "One Planet -- Ours!" exhibition at the U.S. Botanic Garden on the Mall in Washington, D.C., promoting sustainable design elements. Our exhibit, entitled "Rainscaping -- Beautiful Solutions to Water Pollution," focuses on managing stormwater runoff, a dire problem for the Chesapeake Bay and its streams and rivers. The CCLC garden offers attractive landscaping solutions that help clean stormwater before it enters streams or the groundwater system. Our garden is located on the east side of the Botanic Gardens at 100 Maryland Ave, SW. See the map here. The exhibit is scheduled to be on display from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, Saturday May 24 - October 13, 2008. What’s the problem with stormwater? Over time, people have changed the Chesapeake region’s landscape from fields and forests to more hard surfaces – roads, sidewalks, and roofs, as well as lawns that are often compacted. As rainwater runs over these hard surfaces, it collects fertilizers, pesticides, loose soil, motor oil, pet waste, and trash. These pollutants eventually run into storm drains, which empty directly into the nearest stream or river. In short, anything that is put on the land can (and often does) end up in your local creek, stream, river or Chesapeake Bay. The CCLC garden demonstrates a better way to manage stormwater through landscape design. Features include a series of rain gardens linked by dry stream bed, pervious pavers, rain barrels, and native plants that are adapted to the region’s varying climate. These elements reduce, trap, and filter runoff so that cleaner water flows to our waterways. They also create healthy habitat areas full of beauty and life. We'll be posting more about the garden in the coming weeks. In the meantime, see a drawing of the garden here. and a slideshow about it here (large 3841 KB file). The CCLC exhibit was made possible by the generous contributions of multiple donors and partners. For general press information contact Kate Dowling, CCLC Promotions Chair, at (410) 377-6270 ext. 31 or kdowling@acb-online.org. For information about the U.S. Botanic Garden exhibition, visit http://www.usbg.gov/education/events/One-Planet-Ours.cfm |
Calling
all Submit photos of your work Deadline for submitting
your entry: For further information on the contest, contact CLContest@chesapeakelandscape.org
|
||
| In late 2003, CCLC members began working to define and guide conservation landscaping practices. In November 2007, CCLC released a working document to be tested, reviewed and refined as needed. CCLC welcomes feedback, recommendations, and new members willing and able to contribute their skills, knowledge and talents to future endeavors.
|
THE
EIGHT ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS of Conservation Landscaping Ideally, the Chesapeake Bay watershed would be filled with conservation landscapes, identified by the essential characteristics listed below. In practice, only a few model landscapes could claim to meet the conditions set forth by every bullet in this list, but the closer you can bring your own landscape to the one described here, the more you will be helping all life in the Chesapeake watershed. A conservation landscape: 1. is designed to benefit the environment and to function well for human use; 2. contains locally native plants that are appropriate for site conditions; 3. has an ongoing management process to remove existing invasive plants, and to manage the property to prevent future alien plant invasions; 4. provides wildlife habitat; 5. promotes good air quality and is not a source of air pollution; 6. conserves water and promotes good water quality; 7. promotes healthy soils, composts plant waste on site, and amends disturbed soils to encourage native plant communities; 8. works with nature to be more sustainable with less input. |
Join our list serveOur list serve members share questions and advice about a variety of topics related to conservation landscaping. If you would like to join, send a blank e-mail To: ChesapeakeCLC-subscribe@yahoogroups.com You will be asked to reply to a confirmation e-mail to join the group. |
| Contact us by e-mail at chesapea@chesapeakelandscape.org |
|||||
|
©
copyright 2004-2008, Chesapeake |
|||||