By Dr. Michelle “Mickey” Croyle

1. Sign up for the Nitrate Watch Program.   Know that Iowa to our North is seeing extensive nitrogen in its wells, rivers, and streams.  While the USGS does monitor some, many wells, streams and rivers are not routinely surveyed for nitrates.  Iowa, MN, WI, and IL have a survey program. Many of their LWV Isaak Walton members participate and upload data with the Nitrate Watch program. We in the LWV Metro St. Louis League can also participate.  If you know people who use wells for drinking water, sign up and offer to test their water. The nitrate watch map reveals very few sites in Missouri are testing, but the levels near the Iowa/Missouri border have high levels of nitrate.The Izaak Walton League’s Nitrate Watch program equips volunteers and partner organizations with nitrate test strips and empowers them to monitor their water, share their results, and advocate for solutions. Request a free Nitrate Watch kit and investigate their  Nitrate Watch Frequently Asked Questions for more info about monitoring, using the kit, and interpreting your results.

2. Save energy with home improvement projects.  While Federal tax credits are expiring, there are still quite a few state, local, and utility programs that remain available to help you save energy and subsidize energy-efficient home improvement projects. Two valuable resources are the Database of State Incentives, run by an organization at North Carolina State University, and the incentive calculator from Rewiring America, a nonprofit organization.  Consumer Reports  has an informative article titled “How to Get Tax Credits for Home Energy and Efficiency Upgrades Before They Expire”

3. Reduce your carbon footprint! by using a few key fall practices, like leaving seed heads and spent vegetation.  By doing so you can strengthen your landscape and set the stage for a thriving native garden year-round. Learn more about Fall maintenance in Grow Native's Native Landscape Care Calendar. Aim to build better soil for a healthier lawn. As temperatures get cooler, and leaves begin to fall, you may be wondering what to do with all those fallen leaves! Instead of spending countless hours raking, just leave them in place where they can breakdown naturally and recycle nutrients back into the ground. Or, if you want to speed up the decomposition process of the leaves, use your mower to "mulch in place" and chop the leaves into finer particles.

4. Consider Volunteering to help with LWV MO Legislative Tracking – more information will be in the next Environmental Tip.