Happy Mother’s Day from St. Johns RIVERKEEPER (SJRK)! Whether you are celebrating your own mother, your spouse, sibling, or any loved one who is a great mom – we hope it’s a great weekend.
We invite you to remember to celebrate “Mother Earth” this weekend as well! Here are some ways you can do so:
Make a Tribute Gift to St. Johns Riverkeeper in Her Honor!
You can make a gift to SJRK in honor of a loved one! If you give us their email or physical address, we will let them know that the gift was made in their honor. Your gift will be immediately put to use to support our mission to defend the St. Johns River and advocate for its protection! Make your tribute gift here.
Note: The notification to your loved one is not immediate, they will likely get their email/note after Mother’s Day!
Clean Up Trash in Your Neighborhood or Along Our River
When rain flows down your street and into storm drains, it picks up litter on the way. Whatever the rain collects flows straight into our local streams, rivers, and eventually the St. Johns River. Here are some tips for doing a cleanup on your own!
Pick up After Your Pets
Your pet’s waste can wash into waterways and contribute to the fecal bacteria pollution problem. Always pick up after your pet and throw it away (bonus points if you use recycled or biodegradable bags!). It only takes a few seconds and makes a big impact over time.
Cooking Mother’s Day Dinner? Buy Local Organic Produce
Organic farmers use less synthetic fertilizers and toxic herbicides and pesticides that can run off into our river.
Does Your Mom Love Gardening? Plant Native Plants
Birds, bees, and butterflies keep healthy habitats running. They pollinate our food, flowers, and forests. Plus, native plants are cleaning superheroes that filter runoff. Make your garden or balcony a pollinator’s paradise and add a new native plant or two.
Ditch the Fertilizer
Stormwater runoff from rain and irrigation can wash fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides from our yards into storm drains and, ultimately, into our river and its tributaries. For this reason, we all essentially live on waterfront property. Pledge to use less on your lawn, or cut it out altogether. Excessive nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) from fertilizers can cause serious algal blooms that are harmful to the aquatic vegetation, wildlife and even human health. If you choose to fertilize your lawn, follow these tips below to help minimize your environmental impact on the St. Johns River.
Report Pollution, Algae Blooms, Wetland Destruction and More
Check out our Report page to see the different issues you can report if you see them, and how to properly do so.
How are you celebrating your mom and the Earth this Mother’s Day? Share your pictures and stories with us on social media, and be sure to tag us! @sjriverkeeper