It might not feel like summer is here for those of us in southern VT but it is. With the heat soon to arrive let's think about water conservation.

A few suggestions of ways to save. A little conservation can have a big impact.

For those of you seeing this for the first time, a quick catch up... we’re looking to our community of friends and yogis to consider adopting new environmentally friendly changes each month for the next 12 months. Keep the suggestions and efforts coming and we'll add them to our list.

Join our force of concerned yogis that can change our minds and therefore, anything.

THIS MONTH TRY THE FOLLOWING

IN THE BATH

Shower Less, Swim More. Enjoy the rivers and lakes to rinse off. A daily shower is not always necessary and some would say too frequent. We need the good bacteria to stick around and fight the important fight.
When you do shower...
consider a shower bucket. Don't let the water pour down the drain, stick a bucket under the faucet while you wait for your shower to heat up. Use the water for flushing the toilet during power outages, watering your plants, washing your dog or car.
in the warmer weather, turn on the water to get wet, lather with the water off, turn the water back on to rinse.
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, washing your face, or washing your hands. Water comes out of the average faucet at 2.5 gallons per minute. Leave it off until it’s time to rinse.
If it’s yellow, let it mellow. The toilet is one of the most water-intensive fixtures in the house. Do you need to flush every time?
Older toilets use a lot of water. You can reduce your usage by sinking a half gallon jug of water in the toilet tank.
Consider a low-flow faucet or shower head, especially the next time you replace a bathroom fixture.

IN THE KITCHEN

Re-use your pasta cooking liquid. Instead of dumping that water down the drain, drain your pasta water into a large pot. Once cool, use it to water your plants.
Don’t run the dishwasher or washing machine until it’s full. Those half-loads add up to gallons and gallons of wasted water.
Hand-washing a lot of dishes? Fill up your sink or a bucket with water, instead of letting it run the whole time that you’re scrubbing.

IN THE YARD

Shrink your lawn. Even better: lose the lawn completely. Give back to the birds and the bees.
If you do have a lawn, plant drought resistant grass next time it needs seeding. This way you will use less water to keep it healthy.
Install a rain barrel. Rainwater harvesting is a great way to keep your plants hydrated without turning on the hose or sprinkler. Also, a good place to dump that pasta water.
If you don't want to install a barrel, simply place a few watering cans or buckets in strategic locations to catch run-off from rain or condensation coming off your metal roof.
Water outdoor plants in the early morning. You’ll need less water, since cooler morning temperatures mean losing less water to evaporation. Later in evening is also a good time, as water will not evaporate in midday sun.

EVENTS

Youth Demand Action on Climate Change!
at 118 Elliot St in Brattleboro
Wednesday, June 05, 2019
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

https://118elliot.com/calendar/world-environment-day-youth-action-climate-change/

On June 5, United Nations World Environment Day, come to 118 Elliot and hear student activists from our region, ages 13 to 20, who will share their stories.------

A Global Need, a Village Effort, an Individual Responsibility