Why should I Greenscape?

We need to make sure there is enough clean water for people and the environment.

There are two major threats facing the water resources of southeastern Massachusetts.  First, like many urbanized areas in the U.S., we are running out of drinkable water sources and there is less and less water available to sustain our rivers, streams and wetlands.  Second, water quality of our ponds, rivers and bays is impaired, and improvements are difficult and expensive.

These two inter-related problems are partially due to maintainance of our landscapes. Consider the amount of drinkable water that is being used to irrigate our landscapes. During the summer season, many communities are faced with water demands that are 2-3 times more than the winter season. Not only does this place a stress on the environment, but our water supply systems cannot keep up with demand. This can result in a loss of pressure and potentially cause safety concerns for fire fighting. In addition, the more water we use, the more sources of water we will have to find and develop. The cost of developing new sources of water is large and those costs are transferred to consumers and citizens.

Now consider the fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides being used on our landscapes.
Chemicals that are not immediately absorbed by plants in our landscapes can end up polluting our
water through stormwater runoff. Excess nutrients either leach through the soil to the groundwater, or
they are washed by rain into stormdrains that lead to the nearest waterbody, contaminating our drinking
water and causing rapid alga growth in ponds and bays.

Keep reading to learn how you can have a beautiful landscape that is good for your family, your
wallet and your environment too.

How do I Greenscape?