How You Can
Protect Land
Stewardship is a collective commitment.
Limit or eliminate fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. These chemicals easily wash off lawns and into local water sources. Instead, use natural methods like compost and mulching your leaves and grass clippings to keep soil and lawn healthy.
Manage water naturally. Install rain barrels to collect roof runoff for reuse. Create rain gardens that filter stormwater and allow it to soak into the ground and filter instead of carrying pollutants into local streams.
Create Native, Low-maintenance Landscapes
What makes a plant native?
A plant is considered native if it naturally occurs in a region without human introduction.
Why plant native?
Native plants are well adapted to the soils, moisture, and climate of their local landscapes. Once established, they require less mowing, watering, and fertilizing. They typically need fewer pesticides and herbicides because they have evolved with local insects and wildlife.
Native plants have deep root systems which help improve soil health, reduce compaction, and allow water to soak into the ground, helping manage stormwater runoff.
Overall, native plants help individuals and communities by improving water quality, supporting local wildlife, reducing maintenance and resource use, and creating healthier, more sustainable yards and resilient green spaces.
For more information on native species found around the Chautauqua County region, examples of native landscape designs, and a list of local native plant nurseries, please click on the links below.
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Native plants from the New York Flora Atlas, click here and select Chautauqua County
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Native plant database with notes on the birds they attract, click here and enter your ZIP code
Do you know about our Yard Smarts programs? Conservationist Carol Markham can help with choosing native plants or designing your garden. Please fill out this form to set up a free consultation.
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What makes a plant invasive?
A plant is considered invasive if it is non-native to the region and can grow, spread, and reproduce quickly across a wide range of conditions. Some common invasive plants found in and around Chautauqua County include Japanese Knotweed, Asian Bush Honeysuckle, Purple Loosestrife, Multiflora Rose, Privet, and Norway Maple. Unfortunately, some of these and other invasive ornamental plants are still sold in nurseries.
Why remove & replace invasives?
Invasive plants typically do not support wildlife as well as native species. As they spread, they degrade and reduce wildlife habitat.
They can disrupt habitats and outcompete native vegetation for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. This can reduce biodiversity.
Reduced biodiversity of spreading invasives leads to reduced soil quality, not only effecting yards and wild spaces, but agriculture lands too, risking poor crop harvests.
Invasive plants often have shallower roots than their native counterparts. Shallow roots don't stabilize the soil as well, leading to increased soil erosion, and runoff which degraded water quality.
For more information regarding invasive species in our area and how to safely remove them, please click on the links below.
Do you know about our Yard Smarts programs? Conservationist Carol Markham can help with identifying invasives and suggesting alternative solutions. Please fill out this form to set up a free consultation.
What about grass?
Rethinking traditional lawn care is a great first step toward creating a more natural, native landscape. Turf grass can still play a useful role in a landscape. It provides a durable surface for recreation and relaxation; however, traditional grass often provides little value for beneficial insects such as pollinators and natural pest controllers.
By creating and incorporating turf alternative strategies into your existing lawn and landscape and/or transitioning parts of your lawn into natural meadow areas, you can greatly increase and support our local pollinators and local wildlife. Learn more at the links below:
Do you know about our Yard Smarts programs? Conservationist Carol Markham can help with choosing native plants or designing your yard. Please fill out this form to set up a free consultation.
What about shorelines & banks?
Shorelines and banks along lakes, streams, and rivers are valuable natural areas that support fish and wildlife. When planted with native trees, shrubs, and flowering perennials, they create a protective “buffer” between your yard and the water that provides essential food and habitat for bees, birds, and other wildlife.
Shoreline buffers act as a filter to clean stormwater runoff, keeping pollutants out of waterways and protecting drinking water.
They also trap sediment and debris, slow down runoff to reduce flooding and erosion.
Buffers can add privacy while helping reduce noise, wind, and disturbance from geese and other activity.
With thoughtful plant selection and design, a buffer of native plants can be beautiful, purposeful, and functional, while still allowing you to enjoy your waterside view. Learn more at the links below:
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Shoreline and Streambanks - Chautauqua County Soil & Water Conservation District
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Shoreline Stabilization - NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Do you know about our Yard Smarts programs? Conservationist Carol Markham can help with choosing native plants or designing your yard. Please fill out this form to set up a free consultation.
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Minimize Runoff
What's wrong with my lawn?
Lawns can be great for family picnics and games, but its shallow roots don’t absorb much water. During heavy rain, this can lead to more runoff, flooding, and pollution entering wells, streams, rivers, and lakes. With so many hard surfaces like roofs, driveways, and roads already in place, how we manage the green space we have really matters.
Remember the three “S’s”: slow it down, spread it out, and soak it in! Small changes add up! Together, homeowners can make a big difference in reducing runoff and protecting local waterways.
How can I minimize runoff at home?
In New York, you can collect rainwater and harvest. Direct roof downspouts into rain barrels, gardens, or rain gardens instead of driveways or streets to capture and reuse rain where it falls.
Install a rain garden. Create a beautiful, planted area designed to catch and filter runoff while recharging groundwater and supporting birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
Improve compacted soils. Loosen hard soil with core aeration and add compost or soil mixes to help water soak in more easily and reduce runoff and erosion.
Opt for absorbent hardscaping. Use permeable materials for patios and driveways so rain can soak through instead of running off into storm drains.
Create no-mow islands. Let parts of your lawn grow longer or replace areas with native plants that have deeper roots, helping absorb water and filter pollutants.
Small changes really do add up! Together, homeowners can make a big difference in reducing runoff and protecting our local waterways. Learn more at the links below:
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Homeowner’s Guide to Watershed-Friendly Living - an Everwild publication
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LEWPA Municipal Training Resources | Environment & Planning - includes watershed information and training for municipalities and town and village boards, as well as highway ditch maintenance.
Do you know about our Yard Smarts programs? Conservationist Carol Markham can help identify ways to reduce runoff at your home or organization. Please fill out this form to set up a free consultation.
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