-
LEARN HOW TO INSTALL A RAIN GARDEN
Attend the Rain Garden: Can You Dig It Workshop on December 1st between 6:00 and 8:00pm at Bingham Hall. -
RECYCLE YOUR PLASTIC BAGS
Bring your plastic bags to Forrestdale and Deane-Porter Schools for recycling and help them win a prize. -
LEARN WHAT HAPPENS TO RECYCLED BAGS AND FILM
Watch the webinar on plastic bag recycling- November 17, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. - "Recycling Beyond the Plastic Bag"—learn about decking manufactured from plastic film and plastic bags, impacts of contamination, what can be recycled, where to recycle and how schools and community organizations can participate. -
GREEN YOUR BUSINESS
Help make our community more sustainable and take steps to earn the Rumson Green Business Seal. -
TAKE THE HEALTHY YARD PLEDGE
Protect native plants and wildlife habitat by reducing the use of synthetic, fertilizers, insecticides and weedkillers! Click here to learn more and take the pledge. -
INSTALL A RAIN GARDEN
Capture and filter polluted water before it reaches the rivers. Download the Rain Garden App and install a rain garden on your property to help protect our waterways. → POST a picture of your rain garden. ← -
JOIN THE UN-WASTE MOVEMENT
Sign up to have your kitchen scraps turned into sustainable products such as soil amendments, biogas, and renewable electricity. → POST a picture of your UN-Waste Bucket. ← -
GO SOLAR
Sign up and have a solar consultation for your home or business. → POST a picture of your south-facing roofline. ← -
GO VIRTUAL FOR ECOFEST
Attend the 2020 virtual Rally For the Rivers Ecofest Toolkit and learn through videos how you can protect our waterways. → Give a shout out and POST a link to your favorite video. ← -
KNOW YOUR WATERSHED ADDRESS
We all live in a watershed (an area of land that drains to a particular waterway) and Rumson actually has two of them: the Navesink and Shrewsbury. Locate your house on a map. What direction does water flow from your house when it rains? HINT: Roughly...which side of Ridge Road do you live? North of RFH would be Navesink and South of RFH would be Shrewsbury. Add your family name to our map at the Rally in the spring. -
SCOOP THE POOP
Pet waste is a dangerous example of non-point source pollution. One gram of dog waste contains 23 million bacteria that is responsible for water quality issues of the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. Waste from all animals are included: cats, horses, or other farm animals. Send us a picture of your furry friend. -
CUT IT AND LEAVE IT
Leave grass clippings on the lawn as a natural fertilizer. Mow high and often to reduce stress and retain moisture. If you must fertilize, use a slow-release nitrogen or organic fertilizer minimally in the fall. Grass clippings and leaves add phosphorous (a natural nutrient) to the water when they enter through storm drains. This can cause excessive algae growth and lead to less dissolved oxygen which has results in massive fish kills! POST picture of your environmentally friendly lawn practices. -
COMPOST YOUR FOOD & LEAVES
Create your own natural, nutrient rich fertilizer! Leaves, garden waste and food waste can be composted and reused in garden beds. POST picture of your compost pile or container! -
NO MORE CHEMICALS
Chemical pollution is not only bad for water quality, it is toxic to our health and the health of our pets. Use pet friendly and salt-free products to melt ice in the winter. Use Eco-friendly cleaning products, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. POST picture of you saying NO to Chemical Pollution. -
SAY NO TO PLASTICS
Plastics present an environmental issue in our rivers for a variety of reasons. REDUCE the amount of plastic you use. REUSE items as often as possible (containers, rags, bags) RECYCLE plastics with number 1, 2 and 5. REFUSE single use plastic bags, straws, containers when possible. POST picture of you practicing at least one of the 4Rs. -
CONSERVE ENERGY
Burning fossil fuels causes climate change which threatens our coasts! Walk, bike, or carpool. Purchase energy efficient appliances and electronics. Turn off the lights when not in use! POST picture of how you conserve energy in your house OR a picture of your hybrid vehicle! -
AUTOMOTIVATE FOR THE WATERWAYS
Leaking automotive vehicles allows chemical pollution to enter the waterways. Clean up spills with sand or kitty litter, and dispose of that properly. Wash your car on the lawn to reduce the amount of soaps going down the storm drain. Post a picture of an environmentally friendly car wash! -
REDUCE STORMWATER RUNOFF
Pervious surfaces, as opposed to impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs and sidewalks, absorb rainwater and help to reduce flooding, recharge groundwater and reduce pollutants getting into waterways. Activities you can do to reduce rainwater runoff include: using rain barrels, installing rain gardens, increasing lawn/plantings, using gravel or pavers/brick drive and walkways that allows water to seep between, redirect gutters into planting beds. Post a picture of way(s) you reduce rainwater runoff! -
INSTALL A GREEN ROOF
Do you have a flat or slightly sloping roof that needs repair? Installing a vegetative roof absorbs rainwater, improves insulation and provides habitat for birds. Post a picture of your green roof!
PLEASE POST PHOTOS ON INSTAGRAM
USE HASHTAG #RumsonRiverFriendly
SEND QUESTIONS TO:
riverfriendly.challenge@gmail.com
Rumson NJ 07760