8 Ways to Love Mother Earth on Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day from Blue Water Baltimore!

Today is the day we celebrate all the mothers in our lives, whether it’s our biological mothers, or the women in our lives that have been there for us through thick and thin. However, there’s another mother we should remember today: Mother Earth. 

While she can’t do your laundry or bake you cookies, Mother Earth is just as important to our health and well-being. And while there’s only so much we all can do during the shutdown, we can still find ways to appreciate Mother Earth while celebrating today. 

Here are eight easy ways to show Mother Earth some Mother’s Day love (today and everyday!):

1. Clean up litter on your neighborhood street.

When rain flows down your street and into storm drains, it picks up litter on the way. Whatever the rain collects flows straight into our local streams, rivers, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay. When you’re cleaning up, remember to practice social distancing, wear gloves, and wash your hands afterwards. Use a trash grabber, poker, or kitchen tongs so you’re not touching litter directly.

2. Pick up after your pets.

No one wants pet poop in their water (or on their shoes). Always pick up after your pet and throw it away. It only takes a few seconds and makes a big impact over time! Make a pledge to scoop your pet’s poop today. Need more reasons? Here’s 10 more.

3. Cooking Mother’s Day dinner? Toss used oil in the trash, not down the drain.

Cooking fats, oils, and grease – or FOG – are key to cooking a delicious Mother’s Day meal. However, FOG is nasty for our pipes; it clogs them up and causes nasty sewage backups into people’s homes. Ew! Instead, dispose of FOG the right way.

4. Does your Mom love gardening? Plant native plants for pollinators.

Birds, bees, and butterflies keep healthy habitats running. They pollinate our food, flowers, and forests. Plus, native plants are cleaning superheroes that filter runoff. Pledge to make your garden or balcony a pollinator’s paradise and check out what plants we have in stock at our Herring Run Nursery.

5. Help tackle invasive, non-native plants.

Break out your garden shears and help remove invasive plants on your property or in your local park. Be wise when gardening or landscaping and choose native plants whenever you can! Learn more about how to help here.

6. Ditch the fertilizer.

Your grass loves fertilizer, and so does algae and aquatic plants. Too much fertilizer can cause algae blooms or overgrowth that kills fish and aquatic critters. Pledge to use less on your lawn, or cut it out altogether.

7. Looking for a last minute gift? Buy a gift card to Herring Run Nursery.

All proceeds benefit our work towards clean water and strong communities. Plus, plants are gifts that always keep giving! Buy a gift card here.

8. Report pollution when you see (or smell) it.

As your local Waterkeeper organization, we investigate matters related to water pollution. If you see or smell something fishy (in the bad kinda way), use our online pollution reporting tool or call us at 443-908-0696.

How are you celebrating your mom and the Earth this Mother’s Day? Share your pictures and stories with us on social media, and be sure to tag us!