Tred Avon Watershed Grant Project
Through a partnership with Talbot County Public Works, we were awarded a $133,180 grant from Maryland’s Coastal and Atlantic Bays Trust Fund to provide education and demonstrations for Talbot County and Tred Avon Watershed residents to reduce non-point source pollution entering the Tred Avon River. We kicked off this project with an open house at the Avalon Theatre March 15. We saw more than 130 residents and gave out more than 70 soil bags for free soil tests. We are continuing to provide free soil testing and detailed Urban Nutrient Management reports for Tred Avon Watershed residents through the end of the grant in the spring of 2012. Residents outside of the watershed may also take advantage of this program with a discounted soil test price of $5. To take advantage of this program, visit the Talbot County Extension Office to fill out a short survey and receive a soil bag and instructions for collecting a soil sample for a lawn soil test.
In addition to the soil testing, our BayWise Master Gardener team has been working very hard to accommodate all of the requests for free BayWise Consultation Site visits in the area. The goal of this program is to provide educational consultations for residents in which a small team of BayWise-certified Master Gardeners visit a property and give advice on environmentally sound, Bay-friendly lawn and garden practices. Our teams are made up of very knowledgeable Master Gardeners with training in such things as native plants, storm water management, invasive plants, weeds, creating wildlife habitat, living shorelines, bee keeping and even vegetable and fruit production.
To request a BayWise Consultation, contact the Talbot County Extension Office at 410-822-1244 or email [email protected]. A BayWise team leader will contact you to set up a time and date for your site visit. Once the initial visit is completed, you may request to have your property BayWise Certified, which includes a sign for your landscape and a certificate designating your landscape “BayWise.”
If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, call our Talbot County Coordinator, Heather Buritsch at 410-822-1244 or e-mail [email protected] You can also visit the Maryland Master Gardeners website at: https://mastergardener.umd.edu and the Talbot County Extension website at: https://extension.umd.edu/local/Talbot/
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