Get Your Hands Dirty!
Did you know that a lawn is considered an ecological dead zone? Lawns provide little food, shelter or diversity for bees, birds or insects and are often sprayed with chemical fertilizers which actually kill more species than protect the environment. In fact, there is so much more we can do with our yards than simply plant grass. Here is the latest:
Spring Ideas: Get Your Hands Dirty!
APC members participated in a recent Surfrider workshop titled Raingardens and Bioswales with Kris Liem, a master gardener and lead for Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) program. What we learned is that one of the actions we can take to protect our local waters from contamination is to convert swaths or all of our green lawns into vibrant, active rain gardens or bioswales capturing rain water to blossom native plants and creating a watershed approach to solving water pollution problems. Kris is a vital resource in our community having led the development of East Hampton Village’s two thriving bioswales (one on the Village Green across from the EH Library and Guild Hall and the other on Methodist Lane behind the windmill).
Surfrider is encouraging residents to consider building their own patches of earth-friendly native plantings, perhaps using the downspout from our rain gutters to direct the water to create our own rain gardens. These small acts of residential gardens can help clean stormwater, reducing nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment, as well as the volume of water. In addition, they look good and support pollinators 100X more than a sterile lawn does.
Our experience at APC tells us that lawn care is one of the main culprits of diminishing water quality. Nitrogen and Phosphorus are responsible for harmful algae blooms, declines in shellfish and eelgrass beds, the loss of tidal wetlands and the contamination of our drinking water.
Planting native plants offer the greatest benefits. We can count on them to have strength, lower maintenance, deep root systems (this is important for longevity and cleaning the ground water), some deer resistance and they support the entire lifecycle of our precious pollinators.
So, the next time you are in EH Village, take a drive down Methodist Lane or check out the Village Green and take in the bioswales planted so successfully by Surfrider. In every season, they are blooming and beautiful. Can we do the same on our own land?We are encouraging you all to try. For more information regarding bioswales and raingardens, please contact Kris at ofg@easternli.surfrider.org
Gerard Drive Trash Clean Up – May 9th @ 10AM
Join us! The East Hampton Sportmen’s Alliance is sponsoring the first spring litter pickup on May 9th at Gerard Drive, which is one of our APC Adopt-a-Roads. This clean up is in partnership with the East Hampton’s Litter Action Committee.
We will meet at 10AM at the Gerard Point parking area at the end of the road near the inlet. There are three general areas of focus:
(1) the Gerard Drive roadway;
(2) the Gerard Point beach and parking lots; and
(3) the environs on town properties of which there are five.
Vests, pickup tools, gloves and bags will be provided. Gratitude guaranteed
Together, these efforts protect water quality while preserving the character of our community. As ever, we need your support.
DONATE HERE to Protect Accabonac Harbor
As always, thank you for staying informed, engaged, and committed to protecting Accabonac Harbor and the surrounding environment.
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Submit your donation via PayPal here or mail a check to:
Accabonac Protection Committee
P.O. Box 4058
East Hampton, NY 11937
The Accabonac Protection Committee is a 501c3 organization. Every contribution is fully tax-deductible.
