Do Good Cleveland: 3 Ways To Do Good For The Environment
The executive director of Canalway Partners shows us how to go green in small ways around your house and community.
Pay attention to your own space.
Tending to your lawn and garden responsibly can go a long way. By planting native flowers and plants, such as trout lilies and black-eyed Susans, they’ll require less watering since they’re meant for our climate. When it comes to caring for plants in your green space, help the environment by avoiding the use of pesticides. “Spraying kills pollinators, like bees and moths, who are responsible for not just our flowers, but our food,” says Cardenas. “There are a lot of different things that individuals can do to positively influence the ecosystem.”
Volunteer for a cleanup.
Watersheds are crucial to the overall quality of the environment since even the smallest creek or brook in Northeast Ohio eventually ends up in Lake Erie, our source of drinking water. While Canalway Partners offers the annual RiverSweep, where volunteers get together to clean up green spaces and areas that interact with the Cuyahoga River, a number of park systems and towns offer similar events. “[Trash] just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces until it ends up clogging the waterfront, which can lead to all kinds of issues,” says Cardenas.
Reduce your trips in the car, if you can.
You’ve heard it all before, but cutting down on trips in the car and opting for walking, public transit or riding a bike really can help cut carbon emissions. And with so many multipurpose trails, such as those setup by communities or park systems, or the Towpath Trail that connects Cleveland, Akron and points in between, it’s getting harder to find reasons not to leave the car in one spot and venture out. Plus, you don’t have to worry about finding parking. “Cleveland is blessed to be a very walkable and bikeable city,” says Cardenas.
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