Are you one of the many Texans who use rain barrels at home? Or maybe you’ve never invested in a rain barrel because you’re worried about mosquitoes…
Prevent your rain barrel from serving as a mosquito breeding ground. These pests can get through any openings larger than those in a window screen. A…, Any standing water will begin to smell after a while, especially if it contains organic matter such as leaves. Smelly water won’t hurt your plants,…, Regularly check your rain barrel for leaks and apply silicone sealant to any that you find. Examine the seal around the faucet and generally look…, Every few months, check your gutters, downspouts, and screens, and clear away leaves, sticks, and other debris that have accumulated.
If trees…, The water collected in a rain barrel as described in this post is intended for outdoor purposes only, such as watering your container plants,…, You can learn more about yard care and gardening tips like rainwater harvesting by downloading a free copy of our Guide to Yard Care.
If…
A watershed is a land area that funnels rainfall or snowmelt to a watercourse or larger body of water.
A watershed can be minute in scale, consisting of just a small lake or a single county. However, some watersheds extend for thousands of square…, Every inch of the United States is part of a watershed. In fact, all land drains into a lake, river, stream or other water body and directly affects…, Water picks up pollutants as it flows over land and through hundreds and thousands of creeks and streams. Since this can have negative effects on the…
If we composted many of the things we throw away, such as kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves, and other landscape debris, we could divert up to…
By composting these materials, we can reduce the amount of waste we send to landfills and produce organic matter and nutrients for our gardens,…, By turning your compost pile, you'll get the right combination of air and water, distribute moisture evenly, and increase the temperature enough to…, When turning your compost pile, it is important that the materials on the outside and top layers of the pile that aren’t yet decomposed are turned or…, To increase the rate of decomposition, turn the pile weekly during the summer and monthly during the winter. It takes between 90 and 120 days to…
Create a Green Team of your fellow students to get more projects accomplished and brainstorm new ideas.
Every year, parents, teachers, and students purchase new school supplies, lose old supplies, and throw away tons of food and other school materials.…
Reducing waste leads to benefits such as decreased costs and increased income (if your school can find a buyer for your recycled materials), energy…, To get you started, the Environmental Protection Agency has a detailed guide on how to reduce waste in schools. The guide explains how schools,…,
Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need — Before shopping for next year’s school supplies, look through last year’s and check for any items that can be reused…,
Play First, Eat Later - Scheduling recess before lunch can reduce plate waste, the amount of food discarded by students, by as much as 30%. …
Lawn and garden watering make up 30 to 50 percent of total household water use.
Luckily, there’s an amazing landscape substance that gardeners can turn to for help: mulch. Mulch is one of the keys to growing healthy plants while…, Mulch is a chemical-free protective ground covering. There are organic mulches such as straw, leaves, bark, pine needles, compost, and similar…, Applying mulch around your planted areas is crucial to a successful garden—there are so many benefits of using it!
Mulch holds in soil moisture.…, To reap the many benefits of mulch, it is important to use it correctly. Follow these guidelines:
Water the ground thoroughly before and after…, Mulch helps trees conserve water and survive drought conditions. Use the following tips to mulch your trees properly.
Distribute the mulch evenly…
Next time you hear your toilet running, take note. That could be a sign of a toilet leak.
Although you may not worry much about leaks, your family could be wasting 10,000 gallons of water each year because of them. That’s the equivalent of…, Water is a critical natural resource and is routinely threatened during Texas’ recurring periods of drought. Texas has a long history of cycles of…, With these challenges in mind, TCEQ’s Take Care of Texas program is encouraging all Texans to conserve water by finding and fixing leaks during the…
Have you spent the winter daydreaming about your ideal yard?
With the arrival of spring and perfect gardening weather, it’s finally time to stop imagining it and start working on it. This year, when deciding…, Invasive species are plants, insects, or animals that are not native to a particular ecosystem and whose introduction can harm the economy, the…, Invasive species can take over ecosystems, diminish the productive capacity of agricultural lands, and degrade recreation areas. Plus, it’s expensive…,
Don’t grow it if you don't know it.
Check the contents of seed mixes to ensure that invasive plants are not included.
Avoid exotic plants that self-…
In the United States, the average family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day, with indoor water use accounting for about 70 percent of this.…
Managing our water resources is important because strains on water supplies can lead to:
higher water prices,
increased summer watering restrictions…, Household leaks in Texas alone could waste more than 90 billion gallons of water each year. By repairing leaks in your home, you could reduce your…, You can discover whether your home has leaks by checking your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is used. If the…, Everyone can do their part with just a few simple actions. Some of these tips are also easy for kids to learn.
Use the dishwasher instead of hand-…, Use WaterSense In Your BathroomThe biggest uses of water indoors are flushing toilets, running faucets, and taking showers, respectively. Replacing…, Upgrade Your Dishwasher and Clothes WasherMost people don’t think about water conservation when they hear ENERGY STAR. However, dishwashers and…, Disposing of Your Old AppliancesIf your old appliances are still in good condition, you can donate them to a secondhand store such as Goodwill…, Pay Less for WaterSense and ENERGY STARYou may be able to spend less on new ENERGY STAR appliances and WaterSense fixtures by looking for rebates,…
School gardens are more popular now than ever—and it’s easy to see why. Creating gardens gives students a multisensory experience while they learn…
Students get to put their hands in cool soil, dig through the rich earth, smell aromatic plants, and taste the literal fruits of their labor. A…, The plants you grow improve the air quality, removing carbon dioxide from the air and creating oxygen through photosynthesis. Your students will see…, School gardens help students have ownership and access to healthy foods and provide a pathway to good health habits like being outdoors. Students can…, Gardening acts as a relaxation activity. It has been shown to have significant effects on mental well-being as it can reduce stress, depression,…, School gardens can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be, but there are a few rules of thumb that apply regardless of what level of…, Check out the Texas Department of Agriculture’s information on garden-based learning. The USDA also has some resources available on school gardens.…, If you want to go the extra mile, you could create a rain barrel. Using a rain barrel helps prevent soil erosion by capturing the rain before it hits…
If you live in an apartment or dorm, you might not think there’s much you can do to save energy, reduce waste, and conserve water. However, there are…
Read on for tips on how to conserve while you rent.
, Appliances that are plugged into the wall still drain power, even when they’re not in use. Standby power, as this is commonly known, can account for…, Even apartment-dwellers can save money and electricity by using their blinds and shades. Blocking out the sun in the summertime will keep your place…, Lighting accounts for about 12 percent of your annual energy bill. An ENERGY STAR bulb will use about 70 to 90 percent less energy than a…, Maximize your washing machine’s efficiency and reduce water usage by only washing full loads of laundry. You’ll save up to 3,400 gallons of…, Composting can be done safely and cleanly in an indoor space. It keeps food scraps out of the landfill and provides you with nutrient-rich compost to…, Recycled-content products are easily spotted by reading the labels on the packaging. One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees and uses 50 percent…, In the summer, keep your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher and use a fan to help keep cool. In the winter, reverse your ceiling fans to force…, More than 78 billion pieces of junk mail are distributed each year. Most of this unwanted junk mail ends up in our landfills. By visiting the …, A leaky faucet can waste up to 3,000 gallons of water per year–enough to take 180 showers. Read more about finding and fixing hidden leaks …