For a cleaner Chesapeake Bay, start with the maintenance crew

It all begins with a single, innocuous raindrop.

Instead of splattering onto soil and oozing into the ground, as it would have done a half-millennium ago, the droplet lands on a roof, road or parking lot. From there, it zips along one hard surface to another. Until this tiny traveler finds a larger body of water — a ditch, a creek, the Potomac River — it is fair game for any pollutant that wants to tag along . . . READ MORE

Registration is now open for the Summer 2022 training session

CBLP Level 1

New for this session we will offer CBLP Level 1 training in both a fully in-person format, and a hybrid, online/field format. Both options balance highly interactive course content with a field day. Dates and details online: https://cblpro.org/training-calendar/

CBLP-CREWS

The CBLP-Crews certificate is a one-day course on sustainable landscape maintenance for stormwater best management practices (BMPs), designed for crews and crew leaders who maintain stormwater BMPs. The workshop includes interactive, practical, hands- on activities in the field and in the classroom (no powerpoint!) . Participants who successfully complete the one- day course receive a certificate of completion.  For more information visit: https://certified.cblpro.org/cblp-crews/ 

Why Conservation Landscaping?

Our actions are closely linked to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Stewardship of the land and water by each and every one of us is our most effective tool to improve and protect the Bay. Conservation landscaping is working with nature to reduce pollution. Conservation-focused landscapes incorporate environmentally-sensitive design, minimize polluted runoff, conserve water and are planted with native plants. They protect the soil and are maintained using the minimum amount of chemicals to help protect clean air and water, support wildlife, and provide a more beautiful, healthier human environment.

With so many people living and moving into the Chesapeake region, polluted runoff from streets, farms, construction sites and yards, has become an increasing problem. Contaminants from every home and community—sediments, sewage, manure, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and motor oil—can be carried into the Bay from local streams and waterways. How we manage our landscapes is important to all of us! You can embrace the responsibility of caring for the land, and protect the Chesapeake Bay by applying the principles of conservation landscaping. We invite you to explore our web resources, participate in our events, subscribe to our listserve or donate your time or money to support these learning opportunities. Each of us has the opportunity to protect the future health of our communities and Bay by how we envision and care for our landscapes.