Master Gardener Supports Bay Smart Planting in Critical Area
Motivated by disappointment about the slow progress being made in improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay, Vida Morley of Chestertown hopes to leave a legacy of her own toward a healthier Bay. Morley, a master gardener and property owner in the Critical Area watershed in Kent County, believes that everyone is responsible for upholding the Critical Area law and regulations - regulations she says we are fortunate to have to protect the beautiful natural resources we have all come to enjoy on the Eastern Shore.
Morley comments, "The environment we have here is fragile. We all need to do our part - whether it is not littering, planting native plants, or decreasing the amount of pesticides we use in our yards." She adds, "We also need to be teachers to one another - helping friends, family and neighbors understand the important stewardship role we each play in the solutions to improving the health of the Bay."
As a master gardener, Morley is part of a team of master gardeners which visits gardens and provides free Bay-Wise consultations to property owners in the Critical Area. Recently, she has used The Green Book for the Bay: An Illustrated Guidebook for Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Property Owners Living on Maryland's Eastern Shore, a new illustrated guidebook published by Shore Land Stewardship Council, an initiative of Adkins Arboretum, as a resource to help homeowners understand the regulations that apply to landscaping in the Critical Area.
Carol Jelich, project manager of Shore Land Stewardship Council states, "The Green Book for the Bay is a practical guide for homeowners living in the Critical Area. It helps to explain the 'why' behind the Critical Area regulations, which helps homeowners understand how they can be good stewards of the land they own."
Morley adds, "Here on the Shore, we all need to increase our awareness about how interconnected we all are to everything. By working together and accepting change, we can make a positive impact on the Bay we love."
Persons or organizations interested in learning more about The Green Book for the Bay, should contact Carol Jelich at Adkins Arboretum at 410-634-2847, ext. 40 or visit www.firststopforthebay.org. Copies of The Green Book for the Bay are free and available at the Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties' planning departments, or by mail from Adkins Arboretum by e-mailing info@adkinsarboretum.org. Property owners interested in receiving a free Bay Wise consultation may visit www.baywise.umd.edu.
Master Gardener Vida Morley, left, wth Shore Land Stewardship
Council project manager Carol Jelich
