Rain, rain, don’t go away by Ashby Henderson
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ollecting rainwater is a tradition that dates back centuries. Today, the practice has become very simple, economical and environmentally friendly. There are many inexpensive kits available for collection and numerous do-it-yourself methods available both online and at popular gardening stores. Last month, the Anacostia Watershed Society worked with Aqua Barrel, a local company founded by Barry Chenkin, to put together its first rain-barrel workshop of the season. With the promise of a free rain-barrel kit to the first 10 participants, the spaces filled up very quickly. (The next event is scheduled for May; register now if you’re interested, to guarantee your spot.) Esther Mitchell, a state Master Gardener from the University of Maryland, reminded the group that area summers can be dry and often lead to drought conditions, with water restrictions. She recommends considering the following when trying to conserve water this summer: n Use sprinklers sparingly n Keep grass taller n Use mulch n Use native plants n Reduce lawn size n Collect rain water “Rain water can help you save money on your water bill,” Mitchell said. University of Maryland professor Delvin Fanning, of the department of environmental science and technology, also spoke at the event advocating the use of rain barrels. In addi-
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Vol. 5 No. 4
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
April 2008
Going Native
[Environment committee reports on solid waste, trash] by Sarah Nemeth
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esident Kimberly Schmidt is an avid gardener who used to plant exotic flora in her 42nd Avenue yard. She supports proposed city charter changes for the broader allowance of native vegetation. Since 1995, Schmidt’s garden has required more water, much earlier in the year. “When you start watering in May, you start to realize you will not [be able] … to keep your exotic plants alive,” she said. So, Schmidt began planting native species like hydrangeas, columbine and crested iris. Now her yard attracts hummingbirds and bees, which promote a healthier ecosystem. “I know of at least five gardeners in the area on 42nd Avenue who have ‘gone native’,” she said. “It can be done and it can look beautiful.”
What’s being done
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The City of Hyattsville is talking trash — finding it, collecting it, decreasing it — and a new report from the environment committee has set goals for continuing what the city has in place and promoting mechanisms for future cleanup. “The big part of our recommendation is not just how the city operates, but how we as Hyattsville citizens operate,” said committee member James Groves in a letter to citizens. “It will be a change of culture for some. It will mean we will need to start thinking about things that maybe we did not think about before. It’s about you, us, as a community coming together to make a difference by changing some of our ways and habits.” The Hyattsville Environment Committee presented its Landfill Waste, Recycling and Compost
Report — the first of four reports on city environmental issues — to the City Council on March 10.The committee joined a conference on the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative. It also reviewed waste-reduction documents drafted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative and the Environmental Protection Agency. It does not take a study to find trash around the city, though, Groves said. “Of course [there is trash] around the Metro, and if you happen to be caught at the light going south on Queens Chapel [Road] there is a ton on the road,’ he said. “But really, just walk around the neighborhood and start looking for it. It’s like it was there the whole time but you never noticed. The best way is to go around with a bag and see just how fast it fills up. One of the ideas is to have a map of Hyattsville where people would actually go online and mark where the bad spots where.That way the [Department of Public Works] could go there and clean up or at least keep a lookout for illegal dumpers.” Hyattsville is currently a member of the EPA’s Waste Wise program, said committee member Rebecca Schaaf. The voluntary program aids organizations in eliminating solid waste to cut costs and help the environment. Recommendations from the committee include: n Placing recycling bins at City Hall n Reducing waste at city events by using environmentally friendly products such as compostable cutlery and paper plates at the monthly Summer Jams
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Working through weeds by Sarah Nemeth
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arbage in, garbage out, or so the saying goes. But in the case of a proposed policy in Hyattsville, the reverse may be true. The City Council has introduced a motion to modify the city charter’s section on overgrowth of grass and weeds. In the proposed changes, grass over 10 feet tall constitutes a nuisance. Loopholes in the proposed bill include the active protection of native plant species such as those listed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the Piedmont and Coastal Plain areas of Maryland, and those listed by the state Department of Agriculture. The city’s code enforcement department does not have a staff ex-
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Included: The April 9, 2008 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter—See Center Section