Seasonal Spotlight

CHECK OUT THESE SMALL ACTIONS You can take to MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!

SPRING

Mulch the Right Way

The mulch around a tree should look like a donut, not a volcano. Misapplying mulch can cause tree and plant problems, like root rot. Click the image and share the flyer with your neighbors and landscapers.

Educating others on proper mulch application can have big impacts! Check out our blog for a story about how a Steward’s knowledge and outreach led to change at at the US Navy Stadium trail!

Blog post here

Leave Them Bee

It’s getting warmer and you want to get out and garden! But don’t start Spring Cleaning outside just yet:

Did you leave your leaves this fall? If so, they are decomposing now, adding nutrients back into your soil. Not only that, but they are providing crucial habitat for many species of fireflies - some of whom spend years in their larval stage hiding in the safe, warm leaf layer! Learn more here

What about your perennial seeds and stems? If you let them bee, then pollinators and other beneficial insects are relying on them right now for shelter! Learn more about where they may be hiding here. If you want to cut them back, wait until it’s warmer, think above 70 for 7 days, and then cut growth back to 6-8 inches.

the buzz on mosquito control

Mosquito spraying kills bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Worse? It’s not even the best way to reduce mosquitoes in your yard. Click the image to learn more, and consider sharing our flyer with neighbors and friends!

Watershed Stewards Academy is encouraged by the recent trend that more people are paying attention to pollinators and looking for alternative ways to control mosquitoes.

There’s no perfect solution (yet!), but check out some of the options we’ve found below!

Bee Safe Mosquito Control is a new local business that offers a no-spray mosquito service focused on safer practices. Mention WSA for a $20 discount.
Biogents Mosquito Traps. This innovative company offers mosquito traps as an alternative to spraying. It is used by WHO and the CDC to control Dengue and other diseases transmitted by mosquitos.
DIY a Doug Tallamy “bucket of doom.” This method involves a bucket, water, organic matter, and BTI mosquito dunks to control larvae before they become biting adults. Be sure to change the water around once a month. Click here or here for instructions.
Lemon Eucalyptus Oil. Studies have shown this plant-based ingredient is an effective mosquito repellant.
Use a fan! Mosquitoes are weak flyers, so setting up a fan nearby will prevent them from landing on you!

Plant Native Plants this Spring!

Not sure where to start? Here are some of our favorites:

**Eastern Redbud**
*Cercis canadensis*
**beautiful tree, blooms early**

**Swamp Milkweed**
*Asclepias incarnata*
**tall flower for a moist, sunny spot**
Latin for Gardeners Post **HERE.**

**Wild Hydrangea**
*Hydrangea arborescens*
**shrub, prefers a moist spot in part shade**
Latin for Gardeners Post **HERE.**

**Black-Eyed Susan**
*Rudbeckia hirta*
**MD State flower! blooms late**

Spring Recipe Feature:

Shockingly Green Garlic Mustard Pesto

“Garlic mustard is a really aggressive invasive species found in open woodlands. It’s a real nuisance but at least it’s delicious! Garlic mustard has triangular leaves with obvious veining and an irregular toothed edge and, in the spring, has clusters of white flowers. The whole plant is edible from root to tip. Ideally, harvest the lighter green new growth in the spring while the stems are still tender and flexible and before the flowers bloom.”

Recipe courtesy of the DNR cookbook.