VIRGINIA BEACH — Own a property in the Lynnhaven Watershed and looking to make your yard a little greener or a little more sustainable, but not willing or able to spend the big money to get it done?
Well then, Lynnhaven River NOW has an opportunity for you.
At a fraction of their usual costs, Lynnhaven River NOW is offering 130-gallon rain barrels, rain gardens, infiltration trenches, and their Pearl Lawn Care plans to approved property owners who apply.
What is a sustainable yard?
“Per our program, a sustainable yard is one where the yard has been designed with environmental benefit, aesthetics and well-being in mind,” Trista Imrich, restoration coordinator and a Virginia Certified Horticulturist with Lynnhaven River NOW. “A sustainable yard is one that is providing habitat to wildlife, preventing storm water nutrient runoff into the water through plant uptake and groundwater recharge, and minimizing air pollution.”
A sustainable yard, she said, also relies on plant material that is adapted to the Lynnhaven watershed or on native plants to reduce energy and resource input and waste, through excess watering and fertilization.
Why is a sustainable yard important?
“The Lynnhaven River consists of 150 miles of shoreline, most of which is privately owned. Everything homeowners do on their property has a direct impact on our water quality. Even homeowners who don’t live on the water have storm water running directly into our river, completely unfiltered. There are over 1,000 storm water outfalls in our watershed, and only 20 percent, mainly commercial, have any sort of filtering,” Imrich said.
Individual property owners can have a big impact.
“When we pay attention to our landscaping practices and put best management practices into place, we not only reduce the negative impacts of our storm water,” Imrich said. “We also begin to restore habitat and water quality, in addition to improving our own health and well-being through beautification.”
What is Pearl?
The Pearl Lawn Care Plan is a moniker used by Lynnhaven River NOW and is a formalized, waterway-friendly urban nutrient management plan developed specifically for a yard based on its soil needs determined through a soil sample, said Helen Kuhns, Pearl Home and Pearl business coordinator for Lynnhaven River NOW.
“We use the Pearl moniker for our programs to indicate that the achievements of our Pearl Homes, Pearl Schools, Pearl Businesses and Pearl Faith Communities are going above and beyond for the health of our Virginia Beach waterways and the local environment,” she said.
A resident is required to sign an agreement indicating they agree to follow the plan for a specified period of time through the Sustainable Yards program, Kuhns said. Developing this type of plan would usually cost a resident about $400, but right now, through the Sustainable Yards program, approved residents would only pay for the cost of the two soil tests ($20), and then with a signed agreement they are provided the Pearl Lawn Care Plan.
Interested property owners can go online and fill out an application.
Kuhns said that Lynnhaven River NOW representatives will make an appointment to come do an in-person survey of the yard to make recommendations and determine appropriate best management practice for the property. The homeowners will get a report back stating suggestions for the property, including the best BMP through the program, if eligible.
There are limited quantities of the various items and services.
