DEAR lYN,

The other day, I saw a neighbor tossing their garden clippings, leaves and other lawn debris into the lake. I thought that doing that would be bad for the water and mess up the ecosystems?

Signed, Persnickety Paige

Persnickety Paige:

You’re on the right track, Paige.

Throwing grass clippings, leaves, plant material, etc., into the lake creates problems. We know that plant materials thrown into the lake don’t just disappear — it rots, it disrupts the gentle balance of the ecosystem and it’s not ideal. We can’t help it if nature causes this to happen occasionally, but it’s a bad idea for us to throw it in there.

We need to remember that not everyone knows this, however. Not everyone has been taught best practices with regards to water quality and the environment. I encourage you to use these kinds of situations to be a teacher and to offer a helping hand. You could kindly offer to help your neighbor compost these items or find a better way to dispose of them. Be genuine and thoughtful in your approach. Use this as an opportunity for education and to talk about why water quality matters. Even better, use this as an opportunity to connect with your neighbor and to tell them about The Watershed Foundation!

Like I said before, when we know better, we do better.

Signed, Lyn

P.S. – Another thought, while I’m at it, THANK YOU to everyone who put up a TWF 25th anniversary sign this year. With winter coming, I want to urge you to bring those signs in and put them away so that they don’t blow away or deteriorate during the winter.