Places of worship are incorporating native plants into their landscaping to improve water quality. Stormwater runoff–the rain that flows over roofs, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces–is one of the leading sources of pollution into the Chesapeake Bay. You’re invited to attend the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy’s Clear Creeks Project  Open House to learn how YOU can reduce pollution, beautify your yard, and solve local flooding issues on your property.

Take an outdoor tour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to see how they have made their campus Bay-Wise while also providing parishioners and students with hands-on opportunities to engage in care for Creation. The tour features rain barrels, 2 rain gardens, Bayscape garden, native tree plantings, 3 microbioretention practices, and a newly completed parking lot renovation (with additional microbioretention practices!)

This event will be open to the public from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. Private tours are reserved for parishioners earlier in the morning.

This event is part of a partnership between Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Clear Creeks Project. Coordinated by the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, the Clear Creeks Project is a grant-funded, citizen-based initiative that helps answer a community desire to restore the water quality of the Bird River, Loch Raven East, Loch Raven South, Lower Gunpowder Falls, Middle River, and Tidal Gunpowder watersheds. Additional funding provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Chesapeake Bay Trust; Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability; Baltimore Gas and Electric; and Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, administered by Maryland Department of Natural Resources.