SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The weather hasn’t been ideal for taking care of your yard the past couple of days, but soon it will be. We are 24 days away from Spring.
And 2020 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. So, the City of Springfield Environmental Services wants to let homeowners know of all the resources available to highlight the anniversary of Earth Day. Because, as Laurie Duncan, education outreach specialist, will tell you, every day is Earth Day.
One of those resources is the department’s Yard Ethic Program. Only in its second year, its goal is to encourage yard care practices that support a healthy community of people, plants, and wildlife.
Duncan says some of the benefits include conserving water, reducing stormwater pollution, and creating habitat.
There are six ways you can help the environment and get your yard certified so you can brag to your neighbors, too. You can get a silver or a gold certification, needing to meet three or five qualifications, respectively. The program doesn’t cost anything.
Here are the six options:
- Test your soil. You can do this for free.
- Plant for pollinators.
- Harvest rain.
- Plant a tree.
- Build a rain garden.
- Composting.
Homeowners within the city limits of Springfield can choose which options to incorporate into their yard and fill out the application here.
