Save The Bay is back this summer with more Bay Summer Camp!
Are you concerned about the health of the Bay and your community? There are ways that you can help – things you can change about the way you live, actual actions that you can take to make the Bay, and the world, a better place.
If we all commit to the actions presented this month, we will be able to make a noticeable difference, and a positive change in the problems we are concerned about, this is called collective action.
But to be clear; If we want to solve environmental challenges like plastic pollution, loss of habitat, excessive drought, damage caused by climate change – we need people in power to commit to solving these problems. So, this month we’re going to focus on different environmental issues facing the Bay Area. You’ll learn ways you can personally help solve these problems, and we’ll also tell you how people in power can solve these issues… you ready?
Community Clean-up
A lot of the trash we find in the Bay and oceans comes from the land. Our cities, roadways that connect them, and storm drains are responsible for a lot of the trash that gets into our creeks and into the Bay.
You can help prevent trash from polluting our Bay by cleaning up your neighborhood streets and storm drains. Remember to be safe:
- Do this with an adult
- Do not pick up anything dangerous
- Wear gloves
- Collect in a trash bag or bucket so you can make sure it ends up in the bin
Planting for Pollinators
Pollinators are extremely important for the health of an ecosystem and are responsible for most of the food grown on farms.
We can help pollinators thrive by encouraging cities to build green infrastructure that creates habitat for people and pollinators alike. We can also grow plants that pollinators love – here are some places you can buy native seeds:
- cnps-scv.org/gardening/39-gardening-with-natives/356-where-to-buy-native-plants
- content.yardmap.org/learn/10-cheap-ways-to-source-native-seeds-plants/
- americanmeadows.com/wildflower-seeds/native-rare-wildflower-seeds
Drought and Saving Water
As Californians we are familiar with drought. If there is ever a time for collective action it is during a drought, we all need to work together to save water. Here are some water-saving tips:
- don’t ever let the water faucet run: when you brush your teeth, wash your hands or face, and wash the dishes
- If you have a dishwasher that saves water! Just make sure you only run it with a full load of dishes
- Take shorter showers, 5 minutes max: you can also turn the water off while you wash yourself, and turn it back on to rinse
- Only flush when necessary: don’t flush tissues or other things down the toilet
- Fix toilet leaks: If you put food coloring in your tank and the water in the bowl changes color, you have a leak
- Avoid games like water balloons or water guns this summer. Try visiting a public pool, lake or beach instead
Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July is a time for us to reflect on the harm that plastic is doing to our Bay and our planet. There are actions you can take to help prevent plastics that are only used once from going to the landfill:
- Do a trash audit to see what easy single-use plastics you can avoid
- Share your support for the Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act by contacting your state representative: findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for our latest Bay Summer Camp videos and explore all episodes at #BaySummerCamp. Stay tuned for more, and if you share any activities on social media, be sure to tag us at @SaveSFBay.