Use this page to find actions that your household has completed or plans to complete. Browse the categories on the left to find actions for the Power Saver, Green Leader, or Renewable Star Challenge.
Once you have signed in, you can click Add to My Challenge to add an action to your To Do List, Already Completed to mark an action as complete, or Not Applicable if the action does not apply to you.
Once signed in, you can rate each of the actions you have completed.
The highest rated action appear under the Most Popular Actions category.
ACTIONS
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Drive a hybrid, electric, or alternative fuel vehicleA hybrid electric vehicle contains an electric engine which allows a smaller and more efficient combustion engine to be used. Hybrids emit fewer tailpipe pollutants than vehicles with traditional combustion engines, and they use less fuel.
An electric vehicle uses an electric engine powered by a rechargeable battery pack. While electric vehicles often use electricity that is generated by burning coal and other fossil fuels, they do not emit tailpipe pollutants, and they have the potential to run on electricity generated by renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal.
Other alternatives to traditional gasoline fuel include: diesel, biofuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas, and hydrogen fuel cells (still in developmental stages).
Click for more information on efficient and alternative fuel vehicles, fuel economy and labeling, and the carbon footprints of different vehicle types.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Replace 30 square feet or more of turf grass or other surface with conservation landscaping using native plantsTraditional grass lawns compete for space with native habitat, reduce rainwater absorption, contribute grass trimmings to landfills, and often require harmful chemicals, gas or electricity-consuming machines, and money to maintain. Over 50 million acres of land in the U.S. are covered by turf grass, and 30% of the water consumed on the east coast is used for watering lawns! Learn more about the environmental impacts of traditional lawns.
A section of your grass lawn can be converted to a lawn alternative, such as nitrogen-fixing plants, native plants, a food forest, moss, ground cover, clover, flower and shrub beds, or rain gardens. You can even attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds by planting native wildflowers. Learn more from our Tips for Green Leaders Lawn Maintenance Fact Sheet.
Neighborhood Green is a Frederick County program that provides local homeowners with educational tools, such as workshops and expert advice, to help them convert their lawns into native plant and wildlife havens. For more information, contact the Community Restoration Coordinator at 301.600.1741. Check out our Tips for Green Leaders Neighborhood Green Fact Sheet.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Plant a Native tree on your propertyEvery tree that you plant removes about 48 pounds of carbon from the atmosphere each year upon reaching maturity, in addition to providing shade, habitat for wildlife, soil stabilization, and water filtration. Native trees and plants require less water and maintenance because they are adapted to the region’s climate, and they provide better food and habitat for native wildlife. Learn more from our Tips for Green Leaders Native Plants Fact Sheet.
To learn more about the native trees and plants suitable for your property, check out the Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping guide, the Marylanders Plant Trees guide, or the Wildflower Center guide. Use this $25 coupon toward a native tree.
For discounted native plants, check out an Audubon Society of Central Maryland Native Plant Sale or a Maryland Native Plant Society Native Plant Sale.
Neighborhood Green is a Frederick County program that provides local homeowners with educational tools, such as workshops and expert advice, to help them convert their lawns into native plant and wildlife havens. For more information, contact the Community Restoration Coordinator at 301.600.1741. Check out our Tips for Green Leaders Neighborhood Green Fact Sheet.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
15
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Create a Certified Wildlife Habitat or Backyard Buffer on your propertyThe National Wildlife Federation’s program for creating wildlife habitats in residential backyards, schools, campuses, commercial properties, and communities has resulted in the creation of almost 140,000 Certified Wildlife Habitat sites in the country. The requirements for a Certified Wildlife Habitat are the provision of food, water, cover, and a place for wildlife to raise young. Learn more about the Certified Wildlife Habitat program.
Residents who have a stream, lake, pond, or other waterway on or adjacent to their property are eligible for participation in the Department of Natural Resource’s Backyard Buffers program. By signing up, you can receive 25 free native trees and shrubs. The removal of natural riparian buffers has been a large contributor to nutrient and sediment pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Riparian buffers are ecosystems lining waterways that help to hold together soil and remove nutrients and other pollutants from stormwater. Learn more about the Backyard Buffers program.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
15
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Upgrade your septic system to increase nitrogen removalTraditional septic systems do not remove nitrogen from wastewater. Leaking septic tanks are a major contribution to nitrogen pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. An outdated septic system can be upgraded to a new Pretreatment System which reduces nitrogen by at least 50% and often extends the life of the drainage field.
Residents living within 1,000 feet of tidal waters may be eligible to receive funding for a septic system upgrade through the Bay Restoration Fund. To learn more, contact Frederick County’s program contact, the Canaan Valley Institute, at 304.940.3443.
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