Do rain gardens really work to protect aquatic wildlife? Researchers at Washington State University decided to find out for sure, and set up a pretty simple but clever test: salmon. They collected storm water from around the Seattle region and filtered some of it through soil similar to that in a typical rain garden. They…
Fall is a great time for tree planting: the soil is still warm enough to help roots grow, but lower air temperatures are less stressful on newly transplanted trees. And there are lots of reasons to plant a tree: Trees help reduce polluted storm water runoff Trees provide cooling shade and lower electric bills Trees are…
If you could significantly reduce the amount of stormwater pollution entering Baltimore’s streams and Harbor by making one easy and attractive change to your yard, wouldn’t you do it? Well, you can and we want to help you do it! This winter, Blue Water Baltimore is offering a series of rain garden workshops to make…
You can make lunch or dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser Monday, September 30th at Chipotle Mexican Grill at 919 East Fort Avenue in Federal Hill/Riverside. Come in any time between 12 noon and 7pm and mention Blue Water Baltimore when you order. If you do, 50% of what you spend will be donated by Chipotle…
Few of our native plants shine in September and October like asters do. At Herring Run Nursery we are big fans of asters: they add fantastic color to the Fall garden, provide crucial late-season nectar to pollinators (including the migrating Monarch butterfly), and are important host plants for all sorts of important caterpillars. We rounded up…
We often hear that one reason to plant native plants is that they are easier to grow than non-native plants. While there is a grain of truth behind this legend, the truth is that plants of any type need the right kind of maintenance regimen. It is true that properly selected native plants are, in…
We highlight three purple native plants you can use to support wildlife, reduce stormwater runoff, and show your pride for the Baltimore Ravens.
After a wonderful year and a half as the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper at Blue Water Baltimore, and five years in the Baltimore area, I have decided to move to California in September to “test other waters.” This is a bittersweet farewell for me, as I have grown extremely fond of the Baltimore area, the amazing…
Today Blue Water Baltimore is taking a critical step forward to address the millions of gallons of untreated sewage that flow into Baltimore’s waterways annually by asking the Federal District Court in Baltimore to allow us to intervene in a lawsuit against the City of Baltimore. This lawsuit was settled by a consent decree in…
[Note: guest post from T.J. Mullen, chairman of the board of directors at Blue Water Baltimore] Lately there’s been a lot of buzz about women business leaders, and how we need more of them. At Blue Water Baltimore, we’re fortunate to have one such leader at our helm. On July 10th I was very pleased…