Resources for Residents
Unless otherwise indicated, all of the resources shown below were created by the Greenscapes North Shore Coalition and are available for distribution within Greenscapes towns, as supplies last. Let us know if you need renewed quantities of any of these brochures, as we will reprint most upon increased demand.
For communities and curious parties not currently in the Greenscapes network, feel free to download and print these materials on your own. We only ask that you leave the Greenscapes logo, and give credit wherever possible.
RACK CARDS
Also check out the What Not to Flush Page for more resources.
BROCHURES
A magazine, created in 2019, detailing different sustainable landscaping tips and tricks, native plant suggestions, along with infrastructure suggestions for your home and community.
Created in the fall of 2018, we hope this brochure will inform gardeners in your community how to install a rain garden. Instructions include choosing the correct size, location and native plants.
What is stormwater? How do we, as a developing community, impact stormwater and the watershed around us?
You could save hundreds of dollars and thousands of gallons of water by making sure your irrigation system is working efficiently and not running when it’s raining!
Here’s how! The MA Dept. of Environmental Protection has set a generous goal of no more than 65 gallons of water use per person per day. Let’s see if we can save even more.
We need to put water back in to the soil, rather than letting it run off. The more impervious surfaces we create, the more water we waste.
Learn why going organic is the healthy way to go, and how to go about transitioning from chemicals to organic!
Take the Greenscapes Pledge to care for your yard using water-conserving techniques that will provide you a beautiful, healthy yard.
VIDEOS
Winter Island Rain Garden Installation 2019
This video chronicles the installation of a rain garden in a vulnerable coastal park in Salem Mass.
Municipal Solutions for Stormwater Problems
This video outlines two recently completed school renovations in which LID was used to retain and clean stormwater on site.
Natural Solutions for Clean and Plentiful Water
This video discusses the importance of stormwater protection and many different LID practices that can be used to keep water clean and plentiful.
Kitchen Counter Experiment Videos
Tune in to explore “What Not to Flush”. Just how flushable are “flushable wipes”??
For more info on the damage these wipes, grease and other unflushables can cause in our wastewater systems, check out the links below.
https://www.waterworld.com/home/video/14169338/waterworld-newscast-march-9-2020
And here’s what your government can do about it:
https://www.waterworld.com/wastewater/article/14172881/first-state-law-mandating-do-not-flush-labeling-for-disposable-wipes-signed
Episode 2 – The World Beneath Our Feet
We’re back with another installment of our Kitchen Counter Experiment Series! This time, Emily and her team explore what’s happening in the soil right beneath our feet!
To learn a little more about soil science, check out these links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlREaT9hFCw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f1NNbi3JsY
https://vimeo.com/146177360
https://vimeo.com/80518559
Also, check out the Greenscapes Guide for more tips and tricks for healthy and sustainable landscaping at home.
Greenscaping 101 Series
Greenscapes 101 – Introducing the Coalition
“Greenscapes” are gardens and landscapes cultivated using environmentally-friendly landscaping and gardening practices. The Greenscapes North Shore Coalition is a collaborative of municipalities and partner organizations, focusing on stormwater and watershed related issues. Learn all about the Coalition, what we do, and how you can bring Greenscapes to your community with our Greenscapes 101 Playlist.
These videos are edited recordings of a virtual “Greenscaping Workshop” held in the spring of 2020.
Greenscapes 101, Chapter 1 – Rethink Your Lawn
Gardening is a great way to stay productive and get outside during physical distancing. Did you know that your outdoor space is also an opportunity to protect clean and plentiful water, create habitat, and improve your community? The first step is to Rethink Your Yard.
Greenscapes 101, Chapter 2 – What is a Watershed?
What is a watershed? How does the way water moves across (and through) your community determine water quality and quantity? The Greenscapes Coalition represents communities in the watersheds of the Ipswich River, Merrimack River, Parker River, Essex River and Salem Sound.
Greenscapes 101, Chapter 3 – Reimagining Your Town
Through Greenscaping, residents can increase their community’s natural spaces, which help reduce run-off pollution, recharge groundwater, and keep water clean. This chapter addresses different forms of Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure that could be incorporated into any new or retrofitted development projects. We also discuss much smaller scale projects that any resident can take on in their outdoor space.
Greenscapes 101, Chapter 4 – Answers from the Experts
Experts in native plants, pollinators, and other Greenscapes practices Cathy Carney-Feldman, Katie Hone, and Gretel Clark join Greenscapes Coalition members Margaret Duffy of Salem Sound Coastwatch and Rachel Schneider of the Ipswich River Watershed Association for a question and answer session.
Public Service Announcements
These videos could be shared on social media, or even Cable Access Television
Soak Up the Rain – Solutions to Stormwater Pollution
This video is shown during the “Keeping Water Clean” program to educate our students on what stormwater is and the improtance of protecting our watershed.
Another PSA created by ThinkBlue Massachusetts; a statewide educational campaign to help residents and businesses do their part to reduce polluted runoff and keep our state’s lakes, rivers, and streams clean and healthy.
A PSA created as part of an ongoing project/partnership between the APCC and the town of Barnstable MA. The goal of the series is to educate and inform members of the public about what they can do to help keep our waters clean. The first video in the series provides an introduction to stormwater management.
One of our Greenscapes staff experts was featured on This Old House !
