Whether you own your own home or rent, have a large yard or no yard, have a pool or not, there are many things that you can do to green your routine outside. Each of these actions has the potential to save you money while helping our community to lower overall greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, preserve our ecosystem and reduce the amount of waste we generate. Explore these topics to learn more.
Plant trees. Add a few to your yard or put one in a pot on your balcony. When you plant trees, you help us to reach our goal for more canopy coverage. You also cool our city, make it more beautiful, prevent soil erosion and provide safe habitats for native wildlife. Trees can even help you to lower your energy bills.
Try Florida-Friendly Landscaping. Applying nine easy principles to all the gardening you do helps to conserve water and keep our waterways clean. Explore this topic and learn how to install a rain sensor, use fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides sparingly and safely, and also find gorgeous native plants. Best of all, a Florida-Friendly yard can save you money by significantly reducing the amount you need to spend on maintenance, lawn products and water.
Become a Certified Wildlife Habitat. No matter how little space you have, you can get involved, and help us meet our goal of 600 habitats. A habitat can be created in just a small planter on a balcony, in a flower bed outside your back door, or throughout your whole yard. Inviting wildlife into your life helps to maintain a balanced ecosystem, provides natural pest control, and ensures the vitality of important industries like tourism and agriculture.
Dispose of yard waste properly. Keeping your lawn and garden in top shape means there will be yard waste. Whether it is grass clippings, dead palm fronds, or empty flower pots, there is a way to dispose of it so that we minimize what goes into our landfills. Use your residential yard waste cart, or try a little backyard composting, and don't forget pre-Hurricane season clean-up.
Keep storm drains clear. Storm drains funnel water off of our streets and into our waterways. By keeping these drains clear, you help to prevent flooding and also help to ensure that our waterways are clean for marine wildlife, boaters and the rest of us.
Maintain your swimming pool efficiently. If you own a swimming pool, maintaining it in an environmentally-friendly way can save you money on energy and water bills, while ensuring that your pool is crystal clear!
