Resolve to be Pearly in 2015!

So much of the progress we have made in restoring our waterways is a result of the great work our residents are doing to change their practices and adopt more sustainable behaviors. These PEARL HOMES are all over Virginia Beach. PEARL HOMES are places where people care about our community and our environment and want to do what they can to live responsibly and help protect our resources

Since 2012, we have been working with homeowners to change their practices and adopt more sustainable behaviors. We have already reached just over 2,000 pearl homes in Virginia Beach, and are adding new folks all the time.

If you are already doing 15 of these practices, you qualify to become a Pearl Home!

Pledge to "Scoop the Poop" if you are a pet owner Installed a "Scoop the Poop" sticker on my black trash can  Reduced my lawn area and converted it to a planted bed  Chose native plants for my landscape and avoided invasive species  Did not feed ducks and geese  Planted a tree  Switched from bottled water to a reusable water bottle that I refill  Buy locally made products whenever possible  Consistently use reusable grocery bags  Helped with one of LRNow's River Cleanups during the past year  Installed Lynnhaven River storm drain markers in my neighborhood  Installed a rain barrel or cistern to reduce the runoff from my property  Installed a rain garden to reduce runoff, hold storm water and give it a chance to infiltrate  Grew oysters for our conservation reefs  Drove fewer miles, consciously eliminating unnecessary trips, used public transportation or a bicycle  Chose a more fuel efficient vehicle Consistently recycle or reuse  Reduced my fertilizer use to be more water friendly Pumped out the holding tank on my boat  Display a River Keeper sticker on my boat  Switched to marine approved cleaning products for my boat  Became a member of Lynnhaven River NOW and helped support our work  Serve on one of LRNow's Committees  Installed a Buffer Garden between my lawn and the waterway or between my lawn and the street  Installed a programmable thermostat or purchased energy efficient appliances  Installed low-flow faucets and/or toilets  Did an energy efficiency renovation on my home (new windows, increased insulation, new heating and air conditioning system, etc)  Dispose of hazardous waste properly (batteries, paint, etc)  Heard an LRNow presentation at my Civic League, Garden Club, Rotary or other civic organization (email trista@lrnow.org to set this up!)  Participated in a LRNow workshop or program  Communicated with one of my elected officials about an environmental issue  Composted leaves, grass clippings and kitchen waste  Raised the mower blades to 3 inches or higher to keep the lawn a little longer and healthier  Turned off the sprinklers and irrigated less frequently, only when really needed  Got a soil test before applying any fertilizer  Kept the gutter area in front of my home clear of dirt, leaves and debris to prevent these from going into the storm water drain  Redirected my downspout into a planted bed away from paved surfaces  Installed pervious pavers in place of concrete or blacktop  Created a backyard habitat for wildlife  Switched to an electric mower or a push mower  Keep a grease can in my kitchen and reduced or eliminated my use of the garbage disposal  Line dry my laundry whenever possible  Recruited a new Pearl Home  Installed a living shoreline  Grow some of my own fruits and vegetables  Turn off lights and appliances when not in use

You can apply here online, or fill out an application at our office (3663 Marlin Bay Dr, Brock Environmental Center) or at one of our events.

Watch Where you Blow those Leaves!

No blowing your leaves into the storm drain - that's "dumping," and it's illegal!  You can report it here in Va Beach: (757)563-1470. 

Instead of blowing it away, compost it, put it on the curb in appropriate lawn waste bags, or MULCH IT! You can find the city's site regarding yard debris here. This kind of debris can really clog up your storm drains and contribute to flooding during rain events. 

Additionally, once the leaves reach the water (because you all know, everything that goes down the drain runs straight to the river (unless it's clogged!), all of that biological material breaking down can lead to eutrophication (i.e. algal blooms and fish kills). See the diagram below. This is bad news all around, so please make sure your neighbors know not to blow their leaves into the water or storm drain - they make wonderful compost, after all! :)

If there is debris (non-diseased) that you can leave in place, that's wonderful, too, as many beneficial critters and insects leave their eggs (like our wonderful office preying mantis!) on this debris to overwinter.

http://chemistry.tutorvista.com/

Reprinted from Fall 2014 Pearl Homes e-news, written by Trista Imrich, LRNow Pearl Homes Coordinator

Bamboo-zled

We absolutely love plants at LRNow, but... not ALL plants!

Bamboo is one especially invasive plant that can quickly go from a seemingly tranquil garden border to an invasive nightmare very quickly. There are 2 basic types of bamboo: clumping and runners. While we aren't particularly fond of either (mostly because, like most other invasive species, they are providing ZERO habitat value to our native insects and critters (with the exception of Arundinaria gigantea, a native bamboo)), the bamboo that spreads through runners is the worse of the two. This type of bamboo can grow roots at least 2-3' into the ground, and then begin (very rapidly) spreading laterally (bamboo is known as the fastest growing plant on earth, sometimes growing as quickly as 3'/day!). Some folks have even taken neighbors to court over bamboo encroachment onto their property, which could really make this a costly invasive!

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-bamboo.html

If you absolutely must plant any type of bamboo, be sure that you are taking appropriate precautions, and using strong containers, or retaining wall systems with rhizome barriers. Bamboo can make it's way through stone retaining walls and concrete. 

http://www.eddmaps.org/AT/distribution/point.cfm?id=2417454

Whenever possible, please use a native (or at least non-invasive!) alternative plant in your yard and landscape. Even if you don't believe it is spreading, you can't always know what is going on underground, or what critters may be inadvertently spreading the seeds.

Written by Trista Imrich. LRNow Pearl Homes Coordinator

Scoop the Poop for Jasper!

Arf! Arf! I’m calling on all my dog friends to be like Jasper and tell their owners to scoop the poop!

Jasper—RIP--was the first dog volunteer to help Lynnhaven River Now with this campaign.

Over a decade ago (before my time), Jasper sat and stayed for this zany photograph, created by his owner John Koehler.   Arf! Arf!

Jasper has been a role model for good dogs ever since. He urged folks to scoop the poop everywhere, whether in their yard, in someone else’s yard, in the park or on the beach. Three bones for Jasper!

Jasper knew that when Lynnhaven River Now first started its campaign to clean up the river, up to a third of the pollution in the river could be from dog waste!  Grrrrr!

He also learned that bacteria from dog poop flows into the river not only from riverfront property but also from storm drains all over the northern part of the city! Grrrrrr!

Jasper would tell you that every new dog owner has to be educated about the importance of scooping the poop to keep the river clean.  Arf! Arf!

That means dogs, like me, though we will never be as famous as Jasper, have to step up to the plate. Arf! Arf!

Bring your owners and come to see and bark with me and other good dog volunteers at LRN’s Fall Festival October 11 at Rosemont Forest Elementary School and at the Virginia Beach SPCA’s Walk for the Animals on October 19 at the Oceanfront’s 31^st Street Park.

Tell your owners if they sign LRN’s scoop the poop pledge, we’ll give you a scoop the poop scarf and even put your photo on the Scoop the Poop-Virginia Beach Facebook page.

Help me keep Jasper’s legacy alive!   Scoop the poop and keep the river clean.  Arf! Arf!

Barked by Sam to his person, Mary Reid Barrow 

Celebrating 325 Years of Faith on the Lynnhaven

In the late 1600s a small congregation of people joined together on the North Branch of Wolfsnare Creek on the Lynnhaven River. With faith and hope they built the first of several buildings that would become the center of their community. Churches were built along the waterways as “rivers were the highways and flat-bottomed skiffs were used by those who lived too far to come on foot.”*  To those sturdy settlers, the river was a lifeline, providing food, as well as transportation for themselves and their incoming and outgoing goods. Their art and early writings tell us that they loved and appreciated its beauty much as we do today.

This weekend, three hundred and twenty five years later, Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church celebrated their anniversary and amazing survival with continuous service to the community. Though, sadly the original members would find the Lynnhaven drastically changed today with a population of 447,021 still mostly centered around the river, we have practically loved her to death.  However, they would also be proud to see their current congregants renewing their faith, hope, and stewardship, as they have become part of the Pearl Faith Community partnering with Lynnhaven River NOW.  As part of their conservation landscaping they have already installed rain barrels and planted natives in their school butterfly garden. Future plans include a rain garden to decrease storm water run-off, and native plantings for a labyrinth and prayer garden. Their celebration party was a carefully planned Zero Trash event, ending up with approximately 400 gallons of compostable materials, 96 gallons of recyclables, and only 2.5 gallons of landfill trash! They also collected 4,000 oyster shells for oyster restoration!

On Sunday we were happy to present them with their Pearl Faith Award Banner, a beautifully handcrafted depiction of a “slice” of the river, complete with oysters and pearl. We applaud this congregation who, with simple acts of stewardship, are now working to save their beloved river so that it will continue to be a source of sustenance and joy for future members in the next three hundred and twenty five years. 

Find more information about Eastern Shore Chapel here.

Written by Pam Northam, Pearl Faith Coordinator, LRNow

*Excerpt from The History of Eastern Shore Chapel and Lynnhaven Parish, 1642-1969, written by Louisa Venable Kyle, 2006.