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!
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 and share our flyer with neighbors and friends!
Watershed Stewards Academy is encouraged with 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!
If you've tried another promising method, let us know! Email francesca@aawsa.org
did you know?
You can opt-out of automatic mosquito spraying at your residence. If enough people in your community opt out, it will be excluded! Not sure if you need to? Click here to view the communities in Anne Arundel County that participated in 2023, as provided by the Maryland Department of Agriculture
Outreach Materials to Spread the Word
WSA: The Buzz on Mosquitoes - print or virtual, 8.5 x 11
Side 1: Introduction, HALT, think before you spray and a QR code to opt out of spraying
Side 2: Tips for Safer Mosquito Control Methods
Click here for a print-ready version of side 1 for distribution.
Print double sided and cut in half.
The Buzz on Mosquitoes + Native Plants - best for print, 2 sided 8.5 x 11 flyer
Side 1: Information about planting native plants for pollinators this Spring
Side 2: How mosquito spray harms pollinators, QR code to opt out of spraying
Plant Native Plants this Spring!
Not sure where to start? Here are some of our favorites:
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
beautiful tree, blooms early
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.
