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
-
Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
3
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 Refrain from watering your lawn30% of the water consumed on the East Coast goes toward watering lawns. The easiest way to cut your household’s water use is to stop watering your lawn. Watering your lawn also makes your grass grow faster, and the higher your grass grows, the more often you need to mow your lawn. Learn more about the environmental impacts of traditional lawns.
-
Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
5
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Pick up litter in your neighborhoodNot only is litter unpleasant to the eye, it also degrades water quality and endangers wildlife. Recycle the materials you pick up when possible, and ask your family, friends, and neighbors not to litter.
You must be registered and logged in to leave comments
-
Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
2
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 Refrain from using pesticides on your lawn and gardensExposure to pesticides may contribute to cancer, endocrine disruption, and other human health risks. Plus, pesticides can actually kill beneficial insects and soil organisms that help plants grow; they can also harm wildlife.
Instead of using synthetic pesticides, consider an organic alternative or refrain from pesticide use completely. Plant perennials among your annual crops to maintain a beneficial predator insect population, which keeps pest populations in check. Or try an alternative to synthetic pesticides, such as natural store bought products, homemade recipes, and techniques that don’t use any chemicals, like planting marigolds to ward off nematodes or leaving a dish of flat beer outside to kill slugs.
Before resorting to any type of pest management, identify the pest, whether it is actually harmful, and the degree of harm that it is causing. When trying any pesticide, start with spot treatments, rather than spraying the whole lawn or garden, and see if it works before using more of it.
Learn more from our Tips for Green Leaders Lawn Maintenance Fact Sheet. Click for a pest control guide from Extremely Green or the University of Maryland Extension. Or watch this organic gardening video.
Have a specific pest question? Ask the experts at the University of Maryland Extension.
You must be registered and logged in to leave comments
-
Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
5
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 Refrain from using fertilizers on your lawn and gardensThe overuse of lawn fertilizers is a large contributor to nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Excess nutrient loading, or eutrophication, can cause algae blooms, leading to low dissolved oxygen and high water turbidity, or cloudy water. Excessive use of fertilizers can also damage beneficial soil life that helps plants grow. Learn more about proper fertilizer use and lawn maintenance from our Tips for Green Leaders Lawn Maintenance Fact Sheet, the EPA GreenScapes program, or the University of Maryland Extension.
You must be registered and logged in to leave comments
-
Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
1
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Recycle ink and laser toner printer cartridgesMany printer companies accept used cartridges in the mail, and several businesses in the Frederick area accept drop-offs, including Best Buy and Office Depot. Use this list of mail-in and drop-off services to find a location near you.
You can even raise money for your school, church, or other community organization by hosting a used printer cartridge drive.
You must be registered and logged in to leave comments
You must be registered and logged in to leave comments