Green Tip…Friday! – Earth Day is Tomorrow and Rain Barrels Are Available!

Earth Day is Saturday, April 22. That’s tomorrow! Now in its fifty-third year, this year’s theme from the Earth Day Network, is “Invest in Our Planet.”

The D.C. Environmental Film Festival is offering free streaming of films through April 23. More information is here.

And, since we’re approaching gardening season, did you know that your garden hose can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours. Remember that when you leave the sprinkler running all day. Thousands of gallons can be lost in a very short time.

In keeping with the Earth Day Network’s theme, did you know that there’s a way to save on water for your garden and provide your plants with water they will love? 

While it hasn’t been raining much lately, even brief, intense rain storms can provide water for your yard or garden. If you had one of these barrels converted to a rain barrel, it would capture the rainwater, and with the attached spigot, it would allow you to water your garden and save money on your municipal water bill! Unlike treated water, which is “softened” with dissolved minerals, rain water is naturally soft. The water stored in your rain barrel is better than municipal water for washing your car and watering indoor or outdoor plants. It also prevents the water from running into the local streams and instead absorbs slowly into the ground replenishing the groundwater supplies and protecting our local, Chesapeake Bay watershed!

Thanks to a generous donation by Coca-Cola Bottling Company, the College has 13 of these barrels and conversion kits available. They work as-is once the conversion kit is installed and, for the artistically inclined, you (or someone) could paint it in your own special style!

Learn more about NOVA’s Sustainability efforts here: www.nvcc.edu/sustainability.

Please contact Rob Johnson (rojohnson@nvcc.edu) if you would like a rain barrel & kit and to coordinate pickup.

Here’s some inspiration:

Submitted by:
Rob Johnson, Director of Auxiliary Services and Sustainability, ROJohnson@nvcc.edu