My Yard, Our Sound

My Yard, Our Sound

A project of the Maritime Explorium, Flax Pond Marine Laboratory, and Long Island Native Plant Initiative

The Maritime Explorium will work with Flax Pond Marine Laboratory, Long Island Native Plant Initiative, and NCSCE to create a model initiative in which families transform their own home gardens and yards using sustainable practices that foster improved Long Island Sound ecological health. The initiative will forge a network of citizens who, with increased knowledge of the value and impact of native plants and their role in reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, will create and care for home landscapes that produce cleaner stormwater run-off, restore the resiliency of the Sound’s waterways, and re-establish wildlife biodiversity.

Through successful implementation of the project, (a) 1600 attendees of the year-round Explorium and the one-day Eastern Long Island Mini Maker Faire will participate in the interactive My Yard, Our Sound Exhibit and learn how and why native plants directly impact the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. They will leave with material to transform 2 square feet of land; and (b)180 families will participate in Native Landscaping workshops that help them develop and implement plans, and purchase materials to transform 100 square feet of their own home yard.

It is anticipated that 80% of all participants will submit pre/post surveys indicating increased knowledge, and 80% of the workshop families will successfully transform the pledged portion of their home yard.

If you have questions about this program, please contact Jacqueline Grennon Brooks in the Department of Technology and Society at Stony Brook University at jacqueline.brooks@stonybrook.edu, or Lauren Hubbard at lhubbard@maritimeexplorium.org.

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Girl Scouts transform a lawn into a meadow!